Blood Princess
by Rxider
Summary: "Immortality. What a cruel fate we've been given. It's a curse you know...watching the people around you die. And the worst part is that you keep on living, as if they didn't exist in the first place."
1. Dark Prologue

_In the eyes of many_  
 _She was nothing_  
 _But a withered flower_  
 _Entwined with eternity._

 _The ticking clock_  
 _Calling her lifespan._

 _Still, she wished_  
 _To be able to turn_  
 _The hands of the clock._

 _When she was nothing._

 _But a possibility._

* * *

Her head was being tilted, mouth opened, some form of liquid entering her throat. Every single drop of blood from the vial was transported inside her.

Opening her eyes, she felt warm.

Memories started flashing in her mind; what happened in her life the years before; the hardships she endured to be the person she was today.

That's right.

She was the second princess of the Royal Family of the Monster Kingdom. The Phoenix Clan.

She wasn't human.

How can she forget such a trivial thing?

"How long was I out?" She asked. Elizabeth had brought her another cup of tea, which she accepted gratefully.

"Quite longer than expected Hime-chan."

"I see. It seems like my mother's idea to name me the queen of this carnival. Seriously. What a troublesome task I've been given."

Elizabeth stared at her with wide eyes. Did she plan on joining the final event after all? It was too risky. But knowing Lilliane, nothing can make her change her mind.

First, she needed to meet up with the Mukamis. Disappearing like that is rude, even for her. She doubt that they would be worried; probably only troubled that their Livestock went missing.

Ha. Livestock. What a funny word.

For most of her life, she was anything but that. She stood on top of anything else, a name given to her the day she was born. It wasn't something she wished to have. The status she had to bear with as she grew up.

 _So how did she end up in this predicament?_

* * *

"Exiled? But father, I-!"

"My decision is final Lilliane."

"F-Father...No..."

I am floating in the pit of oblivion, trying to find the exit from this hollow darkness. The last thing I remember...huh? Where am I? I blink twice before lifting my body from the ground. I notice the cold wind swaying the branches of the trees surrounding me. I must be in some sort of forest. But before that...what did I do..?

"My head. It hurts. I wonder..." My senses pick up the approaching footsteps from my left side. A man appeared, a mellow expression on his face.

"Who are you?"

"You must be Lilliane. My name is not important. Your father, however, entrusted you to me."

"Lilliane? Is that...my name?" He seemed to be taken aback by my question, but he merely chuckles at my confusion.

"I see. Yes, it is. Well, a lady shouldn't be in this kind of place for too long. Please follow me."

I stand up and brush the dirt off my skirt. I decide to follow him until a huge mansion comes to our view. The atmosphere was very eerie, but it gave me a sense of familiarity and comfort somehow.

The door opens, revealing a man in butler clothing. He led me inside towards the living room area. I notice the Victorian style of the furniture as well as the wall decorations. Yes, very cozy indeed. Weird.

I take a seat as the butler serves me a cup of tea, nodding in his direction as a sign of gratitude. As I pick up the cup, I hear the man's voice accompanied by another person.

"Well then, I leave everything to you Ruki."

"Yes. Take care Karlheinz-sama."

When the door opened however, a stranger stood in the doorway. Where did the man go? Many questions flash through my head before the male in front of my spoke.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"No." I answer while shaking my head. As if being triggered, my head suddenly starts to throb making me drop the teacup in my hand.

"Ruki...is she...okay?" Another guy appeared in the room, bandages visible from certain parts of his body.

"M-my head. Ugh! What is this..?" A loud thud suddenly erupts as I realise that I unconsciously slammed my palm against the coffee table.

"It seems as if the effects are still bothering you. It would do best for you to rest for a while."

I stare at the dark haired male before I feel my consciousness slipping away.

* * *

 _Once again, as if being trapped inside a cage;_  
 _I struggle against the metal prison._

 _With chains around my whole body,_  
 _A remainder of my betrayal,_  
 _To someone I can't remember._

 _A seal placed inside my mind._

 _Even though it was supposed to belong to me,_  
 _I can't help but feel like,_  
 _I do not know myself._


	2. Dark 01

"Where...am I?"

Her eyes wander around the room, the dark blue motif giving her a calm feeling.

Lilliane sat upright, her hand automatically coming up to touch the temple of her head. Even after getting some sleep, she still can't remember what happened before she found herself in the middle of nowhere. Her fingers brush her bangs aside; maybe it's the reason as to why her vision is a bit blurry. However, nothing changed.

"Oh."

She can't see out of her left eye. Rather, it feels as if the darkness was taunting her disability. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the mirror and stared at her reflection.

She did not feel disgusted nor terrified. Instead, the raw flesh from the empty space was staring back at her in absolute silence. How humiliating. She did not even know how she lost her left eye.

"I see you're awake." She was startled with the sudden appearance of the male from the night before.

"Get dressed Lilliane." He threw the uniform in his hands on the bed. She stared at it with confusion. As if processing the name he addressed her with, she scowled at him.

"That name. Don't call me that."

Ruki was taken aback by the tone of her voice. He thought she was simply a vulnerable human girl that the Vampire King happened to stumble upon into.

"Hmp. A livestock has no right to claim any demands."

"Livestock?"

"Yes. As long as you reside in this mansion, you are a livestock. Know your place, human."

In a split second, she was pushed against the wall. She felt him lick the pale skin of her neck before sinking his teeth down the virgin flesh. Her hands fisted his gray jacket, trying not to scream from the pain.

"What is this?"

Ruki was surprised when her blood filled his mouth. He never thought that another human being was capable of satisfying his thirst besides Eve.

"Your blood is sweet. It's hot and so full. It's flowing down my throat."

He took another bite, this time down her collarbone. After taking a few gulps, he released her so she can get dressed.

"Your name."

"Huh?" She stared at him, supporting her body on the wall so she wouldn't slide down the floor.

"Just this once I'll indulge you livestock. Since your blood has satisfied me after all."

"Hime." The name was simple yet held a very deep meaning. Her head ached once again; like a wall blocking a fragment of her memories.

"Then Hime it is. Hurry up. We'll leave without you."

* * *

She learned that she is currently in the care of the Mukami household. There were four brothers, Ruki, Kou, Yuma and Asuza. She leaned on the railing of the rooftop, the wind brushing against her skin. What a pleasant feeling, she thought.

She clutched the pocketwatch hanging on her neck, staring at it before clicking the lid open. Ruki gave it to her and said that she was holding it in her pocket when she fainted.

"It doesn't even matter. I don't remember anything."

Kou was the lively one out of the four. He cheerfully greeted her when she went downstairs even though she did not share an ounce of his enthusiasm. Yuma used his height to his advantage, looking down at her frame. He even called her sow. Asuza was silent, except when he asked her if she likes pain.

"What a strange bunch of people I've been given to."

Her mind kept coming back to the night when the man found her. 'Your father, however, entrusted you to me.' She can't even rely on her own to figure out who her father is. Who erased her memories?

"I wonder why..."

"Skipping classes I see. You sure have guts, Livestock."

"Ruki-san." She was tempted to point out that he wasn't in class as well, but forbid herself from doing so in fear that he'd do something she wouldn't like.

Ruki placed his hand on the railing behind, trapping her in his arms. His fingers brushed aside the hair from her face, expression not changing at the revelation of her clean wound.

"Your eye. What happened?"

"Who knows? I don't remember anything."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"No. It's the truth. Is there something I can help you with, Ruki-san?"

He leaned down and licked the flesh of her neck. Slowly slipping the ribbon from her uniform, loosening the buttons on her blouse; yet she stared at him with no emotion. He inhaled the scent of her blood before indulging himself in a bite, his hands gripping the metal bars tighter as he pressed against her own body.

Lilliane's own hands gripped the clothing of his blazer, her mouth opened wide but no sounds came out of it. She closed her eye in pleasure; it's supposed to hurt not feel pleasant, she kept on telling herself. Still, she couldn't bring herself to push him away.

"Your blood still has the taste...of an exquisite drink." He licked the punctured wounds before leaning back to leave her.

"Come. It's too troublesome if a master loses sight of his pet."

Finding no other options, she fixed her uniform and followed him. Neither of them realized how her eye flashed a bright shade of red for a single moment.


	3. Dark 02

"Good morning Hime-chan!" Somehow, she'd gotten used to Kou's cheery voice and bright aura. Although she had to admit, his attitude annoys her most of the time.

The male idol stood in front of her with a grin before shoving a bouquet of red roses in her face. She blinked at the unexpected gift a few times before releasing a sneeze. Kou jumped in surprise at her reaction. Lilliane was rubbing her nose with a handkerchief staring offensively at the flowers.

"Eh? Hime-chan, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay? I'm allergic to roses! I even refused a vase from Ruki-san before, remember?" Kou scratched the back of his head sheepishly, feeling embarrassed from his mistake.

"Then, flowers are a no-no. What do you want then, Hime-chan?"

She found it amazing how his expression could change so fast from being cheerful to serious. Still, she can see the darkness of his past reflected in his eyes. Avoiding his stare, she mumbled something which failed to catch his ears. She sat down her bed and stared at the now confused blond.

"Do you have something to cover my eye?"

"Hmm? What do you mean? You're so funny Hime-chan! You won't be able to se-"

She cut him off by revealing the empty socket of her left eye to him. His eyes widenely slightly at the revelation. She was just like him. He was given an artificial eye so his vision won't have to suffer. However, this girl stood in front of him, void of emotion on her face. She was wounded as well. How can she endure such a thing?

"Hime-chan...your eye..."

"If you're going to ask why, I'm afraid I can't give you any answers. Even I do not remember how I lost it. I'm guessing it's been a long time considering the fact that it was gouged out perfectly clean." She let her bangs cover her nonexistent eye.

"I-I'll ask Ruki-kun...I guess..."

"Thank you, Kou." He nodded in response and spun around to leave the room.

"Seriously," she exclaimed, picking up the abandoned bouquet on the ground. "I told him I was allergic and he left it here." Another sneeze erupted from her, as she threw the roses on the trash bin at the corner of her room.

Meanwhile, Kou was in deep thought as he walked down the hallway. Opening the door, he sat with his brothers in the living room. Yuma was trying to stop Azusa from yet again trying to harm himself with a sharp object, knowing how nagging the eldest Mukami can get when it comes to cleaning.

"Oi, Kou! What are you doing? Help me out!"

"Kou...are you...okay?"

"Ruki-kun. Did you know about Hime-chan's left eye?" Ruki diverted his focus from his book to his brother before closing it and facing the rest of them.

"I have already informed Karlheinz-sama about it. His familiars sent us a package for her earlier."

"What's with her left eye?" Yuma asked, not wanting to be left in the dark. He had no complaints about the girl who was suddenly entrusted to them by their benefactor. Most of the time she kept to herself. He even thought she was mute until she conversed with Azusa a few days ago.

"She doesn't have any, Yuma-kun. If you'd just pay more attention..."

"Wha-Kou, you!"

"Stop it. Kou, you only learned of it today. There's no reason to be so hostile about it."

Truth be told, he was still skeptical about letting a complete stranger stay with them. She did not even panic when she found out they were vampires. It's as if her mind had considered that knowledge as a normal thing for a human. And there's her blood. Even from the scent of it, he could tell it wasn't just human blood. You can almost compare it with the blood of Eve, no, maybe even better.

"You mean the Sow is not the new Eve or something?"

"Don't be stupid, Yuma. Eve still resides in the Sakamaki household." He stood up and grabbed the box located in the corner of the room. It was wrapped like a gift, a black ribbon sealing the opening of the package. Without a second thought, Ruki threw it in Yuma's direction.

"Give that to her."

"Wait, Ruki!" His objections were pointless as Ruki ignored him and left the room. It was then that Kou remembered that he had work to be done and hurried to his room, whilst Azusa stared at the box in his hands eith curiosity.

"Ne...Yuma...do you think...we can open it?"

"Like hell I know! I'll just toss this in front of her door. Don't do anything stupid."

He grumbled to himself as he made his way towards her room. He slightly cursed Ruki for ordering him to be the one to give the box to the stranger in their house. Yuma stared at the object, before unwrapping the ribbon from its knot.

"I-I'm just a bit curious...that's all. Huh? What the hell is this?" Inside was a jar with cube shaped treat; he almost mistook them for sugarcubes. It was slightly bigger and looked fluffier than the contents of his own personal jar. Another thing inside was a book with a seal. The title was written in a language he couldn't understand so he simply ignored it.

Before he can fully inspect the belongings inside, he found himself standing in front of the guestroom. His hand gripped the doorknob, twisting it open. However, he did not expect the room to be dark. He fumbled around for the light switch and flipped it upwards. He held his breath at the sight before him.

"Hey, sow!" Lilliane was slumped down, face on the floor. She lifted her head to look at him. Yuma noticed her hands clawing at her throat. The next words she uttered shocked him.

"...Kill...me..."

"Huh?" She closed her eye before fainting in his arms. She looked peaceful and not in pain, compared to how she looked at him seconds ago.

"You're quite a handful aren't you, sow?"


	4. Dark 03

Lilliane took another piece of gimauve from the jar she received. Her left socket is now covered by an eyepatch, her hair slightly covering the item. She stared at Kou who was surrounded by a bunch of girls as usual; he noticed her of course, discreetly sending a wink in her direction which she ignored.

She wasn't that talkative in school as well. Her seat was located at the back of the room, right next to the window, so sometimes she observes the shape of the moon. She kept the jar inside her bag. The treat possessed a weird taste and texture as Yuma had complained the other day when he asked for one. She thought it tasted fine.

"Hime-san...can I...ask you...a favor..?" Azusa asked, startling her for a bit. The youngest Mukami had a melancholic look in his face as usual, void of any emotion except when experiencing pain.

"Oh. What is it Azusa-kun?"

"The...infirmary...I cut...myself..."

Her eyes went down to the obvious wound on his arm. She grabbed a handkerchief and applied the necessary pressure to lessen the bleeding for a bit.

"Let's go. We'll just ask for a slip later on."

While Azusa was having his wound treated, Lilliane waited outside, staring above the sky. She found it mesmerizing how the clouds manage to hide the beauty of the moon, as if shying itself away from the watchful eyes of human beings.

Just then, her head started to throb again. She placed a hand on her temple, slightly massaging it to ease the pain. Once in a while, she'd get these headaches but nothing good even comes out of it. It just made her feel as if her memories were as good as gone.

"Why...?"

"Hime-san..." Her head turned and saw Azusa holding the newly bandaged arm. They started to walk down the hallway until they heard the obvious loud voice of a certain Mukami brother.

"Hey, Neet! I said move, will ya?!"

"So noisy...what a bother..."

As if he couldn't be more loud, she thought. Her attention was then captured by the blond stranger laying down the floor looking at the tall Mukami with a bored expression. The male noticed her, looking at her up and down before letting out a light chuckle.

"Is this your new pet?" For a second, Yuma stared at him confused, before turning around where the male's eyes were currently focused.

"Yuma-kun. Is he your friend?"

"Huh? The hell you saying, Sow! He's a NEET! Ya hear me? A N-E-E-T!"

"Yuma...you don't...have to shout...Hime-san and I...can hear you..."

"Whatever. Let's go!"

She can't help but give the stranger a final glance as they passed by him. Their eyes met, both holding a sense of curiosity with each other. Lilliane was the first to break the connection, but kept his until they disappeared around the corner.

* * *

"Hey, Sow!" Lilliane glared at him before continuing to read the book in her hands. For some reason, Yuma still refused to call her by her name and it was kind of pissing her off a bit.

"Yuma-kun. Why don't you call me by my name?"

"Huh? Sow has no right to make any demands!"

"But aren't I a guest here?" As if thinking for a bit, his cheeks reddening slightly.

"Nevermind that. Is there something you need from me?"

"Oh, right. Come with me!"

He pulled her outside towards a wide vegetable garden. There were different crops, even flowerbeds on one part. She's guessing that Kou got the roses from here while making a mental image to steer clear of them. Yuma handed her a basket, instructing her to follow him to the direction of the tomatoes.

"Oh, this one's good too."

"What exactly am I supposed to do in a vegetable garden?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're gonna help me harvest today!"

"Hmm..." She was impressed that someone as brute as him can actually be gentle with plants. The stems are very fragile and if not handled with care it can actually cost you.

"What's with that face, sow?"

"I told you, stop calling me that. I was just wondering what made you do this in the first place. Vampires can live without human food, can't they?" Yuma bent down to pluck a few tomatoes and proceeded to put it in the basket.

"Well, it's different for us. I don't hate eating, and I don't mind growing them either."

"Hmm...You're a pretty soft guy aren't you?"

"Wha-!" Yuma gritted his teeth in an attempt to stop the blushing of his cheeks. He grabbed her arm, the basket falling down the ground and pinned her next to the walls of the greenhouse.

She let out a sound of pain as he forcefully held her wrists above her head. From their position, the difference in their heights can be noticed, with Yuma staring down at her with a scowl. He ripped open her blouse and bit down on the flesh of her collarbone.

Her blood was being drained from her body; it didn't help that his bite was rougher than Ruki's. She whimpered as he pulled away, his eyes focused on the small recent holes on skin.

"What's with your blood? It's so sweet...and the smell is intoxicating. Damn it..." He widened the tear on her clothes, completely revealing her upper body. It was her turn to blush as Yuma shamelessly oggled her well defined chest to his heart's content.

"Heh? You got a pretty big rack there, sow."

"Wha-stop that you per-Ah!" Yuma wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to his huge frame. Her hands gripped the fabric of his sweater, as he sucked even harder on her chest.

"So soft...Nngh!"

Her body's reactions were confusing. It was as if the pain was pleasurable to her, evident from the moans of ecstasy emitting from her mouth. Yuma grinned as he kissed her lips, his tongue exploring hers in the process. His fangs slightly bit down on her bottom lip, making her push his chest to no avail.

"Stop squirming...Hime." She was shocked with how he called her that she failed to stop him further from taking her blood.

"Don't run away, sow."


	5. Dark 04

When she was asked by their teacher to tutor some underclassmen who needed to raise their grades, she had no idea what she was signing herself up for. Lilliane sighed for the tenth time as she looked at the piece of paper full of mathematical equations, supposed to be answered by the students in front of her. Well at least one of them made an effort to actually solve it.

"Tch. Why does Yours Truly have to do something like this? This is so troublesome!"

"Ayato-kun got the lowest grade in class, and Reiji-san will get mad if you don't get a higher score in the next quiz."

"Like I care what that shichisan-megane says! Hey melons! Are we done here yet?" Looking up from the papers, she pointed to herself as if asking the redhead if he was pertaining to her.

"Me?"

"Obviously! Who else? You should tell Chichinashi here your secret so her chest can get bigger."

"A-Ayato-kun! That's no way to talk to an upperclassman!"

Being called sow was one thing, but being named something disrespectful by the size of her chest made a vein pop on the side of her head. She chuckled at Ayato before grabbing the thick textbook on the table. In an instant she had pinned down the fingers on Ayato's right hand using the side of the book.

"Ouch! What are you doing, you bitch!"

"Oh my, Ayato-san. This is a library you know? It's not good to be noisy here." She said with a smile, at the same time pushing the book harder down his fingers.

"That's right. Grit your teeth. I wonder how long you'll last before you let out a piercing scream."

"Eh? Ayato-kun?" They all stared at the new person who arrived, eyes full of curiosity as it slowly moved down the direction of Ayato's hand.

"Oi, Laito! Get this bitch off me!" At the same time, Lilliane removed the book from its threshold, and sat down her chair.

"Right, let's continue please. The sooner we get this done, the better."

"I don't get what just happened, but Ayato-kun, Reiji said to take this seriously or no takoyaki for you this month. Ufu."

"Huh? Don't screw with m-" Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a presence behind him.

"Ayato-san, you're left-handed aren't you?"

Lilliane placed a new piece of paper in front of him, sliding another to Yui's. Uncapping the tip of her ballpen she made Ayato grip it with his fingers, her hand over his.

"He, how nice Ayato-kun. I'm kind of jealous. I want to be tutored by an upperclassman too. Ufu."

"S-shut up! What are you doing anyway melons?" He turned to look at her but was stopped by her right hand pressed harshly on his head, forcing him to focus on the equation.

"I was just thinking. You're lucky I didn't crush your left hand. I heard it's very painful when you try to write with broken fingers."

She pushed herself back and returned to her chair. Placing her chin on the palm of her hand, she smiled at the two of them. Laito grinned at the scene, winking at Yui before leaving the library. He found the third year female to be interesting, specially since she was able to control Ayato with no problems. She closed her eye and hummed, as if thinking of something, before opening it with glee evident in her gray orbs.

"Then, how about we play a game?"

"Game?"

"Yes. Since I feel bad about what I did earlier, how about we do this? For every math problem you get a correct answer in, I'll let you break one of my fingers. However, if you don't get a single question right...hmm. Well, I get to do the same to you. Fair enough?"

"Hime-senpai! T-That's-"

"Heh, you've got guts to challenge Yours truly. Fine. I accept. Get your fingers ready, I won't just break them. I'll destroy them."

Yui stared warily at the two of them. She was worried about the girl, although she doubt that Ayato can get even a single answer right. Still, she knew that the redhead can be demanding which made her fear for her upperclassman's safety even more.

A few minutes later however, Ayato's loud complaints can be heard.

"Screw this! This is too hard!"

"Hmm...then shall I get my prize? Since you're giving up and all..."

"Ayato-kun. I think it's best if you apologize to Hime-senpai."

"Shut your trap Chichinashi! Yours truly will never admit defeat!"

Lilliane can't help but smile at his persistence. She knew just by looking at his test papers that he wasn't the type to do well in school. His thought process is so simple that she almost feels sorry for him.

"Yaho~! M neko-chan! Wait...Hime-chan?" She turned her head at the familiar cheery voice of the blond idol.

"Kou. By M neko-chan, do you mean Yui-san?"

"Of course! Oh, could it be that your helping them study? How noble of you Hime-chan! Unfortunately, I have to steal you away now. Ruki-kun doesn't like to be kept waiting you know?"

She didn't even have time to protest as Kou slinged her bag over his shoulder, giving the two underclassmen a half-hearted goodbye before dragging her along with him. He remained silent as they walked side by side. The silence was getting too uncomfortable for her liking, but decided against doing anything about it.

"Hime-chan," Kou suddenly stopped walking.

"What were you doing with M neko-chan and Ayato-kun in the library?" His usual annoying voice was replaced with a serious one, she thought. Rather, she can hear the disgust in his tone when he mentioned the name of the redhead.

"Have you been hooked in by their good up bringing as well, Hime-chan?"

"Kou? What are y-Ah!"

Kou pushed her in a dark alleyway, far from the peering eyes of other humans. He pulled her up in a sitting position, her back against the wall with him hovering over her. He placed his knee between her legs and his hands on both sides of her head, trapping her in his frame.

"Hey, Hime-chan. I'm really pissed off right now." He said wrapping his hand around her neck and closing in his fingers on the flesh.

"K-Kou...I-I can't...b-bre..athe...st..o..p.."

"Well obviously. It's because I'm really angry, Hime-chan. Now, what are you going to do about it, hmm?"

She felt helpless. Bloodlust is oozing from his whole body. His hair-covered eye was glowing red, as if staring straight at her soul. She clawed at his hand to try and stop him, but Kou loosened the grip on his own. Instead, he opened the blouse of her uniform with force, the ripping sound of the material making her close her eyes.

"You really are a lewd woman aren't you, Hime-chan? Look, Ruki's fangs were here. Yuma's too. You like getting your blood sucked. Just like M neko-chan!"

Lilliane can only let out a sound of pain as his fangs made contact with her skin. He was sucking deeply, as if trying to erase the existence of the other wounds on her neck. She tried to push him away, but it only urged him further. She was getting dizzy; Kou was sucking too much blood.

"Kou...please..."

"Hime-chan. Your blood is hot on my fangs. It's boiling me with pleasure. Your body is warm as well, but are you really human?" Her eye slightly widened at the question. Although they both know the answer.

"I don't know."

"I grew up in a manhole. When I was young, I had one wish. To be able to see the blue sky. Hime-chan..." He suddenly wrapped is arms around her, and leaned his head on her chest.

It was warm, he thought. She was warm. So this is a human's warmth. Without hesitating, she placed her own arms around him, slowly even as if testing the waters before she continued the action.

"Hime-chan, will you pat my head?"

"Okay."

They stayed there for quite a long time. Kou didn't retrieve himself, in fact, he welcomed it. If this was how it felt to be loved, then it was a feeling he never wanted to end.


	6. Dark 05

Her eyes opened and closed in the middle of the dark. She couldn't sleep. The other body in her bed kept a firm grip around her waist. After the night in the alley, Kou had grown a habit of sleeping next to her-which she objected to at first-but was given no choice as he'd either drag her in his room or slip in hers during her sleep.

She had barely gotten any sleep due to certain flashbacks that'd cause her migraine in unwanted hours. Even in the middle of the class, she would end up asking to go to the infirmary for the whole class. It didn't help that they'd drink her blood whenever they can aside from Azusa. For some reason, he doesn't approach her for that certain purpose. Since he's very quiet and simply admires his knife collection, she can tolerate his presence in peace.

Like now.

She flipped another page of the book on her lap while Azusa spoke with his bandaged arms. Out of curiosity, she watched him for a moment, observing his actions unconsciously.

"Azusa. You're the only one who doesn't drink my blood. Why?" The said boy looked at her and meekly smiled.

"Because...Hime-san...is not...Eve..."

"If you don't mind me asking. Who is this Eve you speak of?"

"That's none of your business, Livestock." Ruki's voice resonated like a loud noise in her ears.

How untimely, she thought. She was having another one of her attacks. She clutched her head in desperation, snippets of a woman standing amidst a land of dead bodies flashing in her mind. She stood up-tried to-but failed and would've hit the floor if it wasn't for Azusa fast reflexes.

"Hime-san...are you alright?" Instead of replying, she was gritting her teeth in pain. She held on to Azusa bandaged arm with so much strength that it could leave a bruise.

"Livestock. Come."

Ruki had carried her in his arms, and before she knew it she was being dropped down the soft mattress. The bed sported a different shade of color from her own, a familiar one that she had seen before. He had brought her inside his room.

"Open your mouth Livestock."

She had her qualms about following his instructions. But he gave her no choice as he forced her lips in a round shape. He placed the sweet treat inside before closing it, silently urging her to chew.

"Gimauve..." She touched her lips, as if evaluating the taste. The texture felt a little off in her mouth. Like it wasn't the usual treat she ate during her free time.

"It feels different."

"I see. This one is store bought after all. The one from your package is in your room I suppose. Have you calmed down now?" She meekly nodded.

She didn't even notice that the headaches have disappeared. It felt weird to be suddenly shown random memories of her past, when she doesn't even feel like it belonged to her in the first place.

"You're gazing mindlessly again, Livestock." She blinked when he pointed it out. Embarrassed to be caught like that, she muttered a small apology.

"If you're really sorry, you'll offer me your blood as compensation. Right, Livestock?"

Lilliane felt weirdly helpless just from his cold gaze. Without further ado, she pushed the excess strands of her dark hair to reveal her neck free of the marks that the brothers left her a few days ago. She undid a few of her blouse's buttons and pulled the material down to show a sufficient amount of her skin.

"I-Is this alright?"

"You're surprisingly obedient today. Good." All she can feel was the burning pain from his fangs when it made contact with her flesh.

Suddenly he was hovering above her, his arm wrapped around her waist as he drank more of her blood. His lips went from her shoulder to her neck, down the top of her chest. Whimpers left her mouth as he pressed harshly, his teeth digging deeper in her muscle.

"R-Ruki-san..."

"Drop the formalities, Livestock."

"You're taking too much blood."

"That's not for you to decide."

Her feeble attempts to push him away were useless. He held her wrists above her head, as he dug his fangs once again on her skin. It was addicting. Like the blood of the demon king's daughter; maybe even better.

"Please. Stop..." He lifted his head to look at her face.

"Hmmp. With such a lewd expression, your words contradict your reactions, Livestock."

Her face was flushed, hair all over the sheets of his bed. She was different from Eve, he thought. Lilliane had the body and sex appeal of a woman, which is hidden by her silent facade. She was breathing hard, it didn't help that her chest was almost exposed. She probably didn't know that she was looking at him with an erotic face that almost made him lose control.

Almost.

He stood up from the bed and left the room. Even though he had distanced himself away from her, Lilliane's expression seems to be engraved deep in his mind. If he hadn't left her, he would have lost himself and taken her right there without anything to hold him back.

"Ruki-kun."

"Kou."

"Hime-chan was with you?" He asked, even though he knew the answer.

Ruki didn't have to give him a response.

"You feel it as well, right Ruki-kun? Hime-chan...is not human."

"No. Her blood rivals that of the demon king's daughter."

Why did Karlheinz-sama placed her in their care?

Lilliane had fixed herself up and was now sitting on the bed. Her left eye was twitching in pain. She took off her eyepatch and felt around the empty socket. It felt weird. She didn't know what to feel or expect.

She was shaking.

Oh. She was laughing. Why? She didn't know. She let her body fell on the bed, her hair covering the monstrosity on her face.

"A punishment, huh?"


	7. Dark 06

"Vandead Carnival, huh?"

Her ears perked up at the word 'carnival'. Her grip on the book she was holding tightened, as if it made her remember a bad memory. Ruki seemed to notice her discomfort but did not pursue it any further.

"Ruki, what's up?" Yuma asked. She didn't even felt his presence as he entered the room. She was too frozen to take note of it.

"Look at this."

"Huh? An invitation? Wait! This is from Karlheinz-sama isn't it?"

"...Let's see... _Participate at Vandead Carnival._

 _Princess Lilliane of the Monster Kingdom is chosen as the Queen of the Carnival as per the request of the Phoenix clan..._ " All eyes turned to Azusa as he read the note.

"Oi, Azusa! Don't shove your head in the way! You're not the only one trying to read!"

"Sorry...I saw the name...Princess...I got...curious..."

Lilliane. Oh that name. She hated being called by her name. But that's not the problem. The invitation that Azusa read had her name in it. But, why? Her face was clueless as they all stared curiously at her.

"Wait...you mean sow?!"

"Please don't shout. I'm right beside you, you know?"

"Geez, whatever. So Ruki, what do we do about this?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to the carnival too. Aside from those guys being invited, we can't disobey that man's orders."

On cue, Kou suddenly appeared in the living room. By this time, Lilliane had closed her book and her full attention was now at the Mukami brothers discussing about the carnival. From what she heard, it seems like an event being hosted in the demon world. Although because it is a special event, all clans are invited with no exceptions.

"Really~? Hime-chan's the queen? How great! But what does a queen even do?"

"Who knows? She probably wears those sharp heels to trample on someone or shit like that."

"I don't think I own shoes like that Yuma. Why me, I wonder..." She said.

"Unfortunately, I don't know. I just found out about this carnival..." Ruki looked unsure of what to say either.

"I had planned to study more about the demon world, but there's still much left for me."

"Well, we can investigate it once we get there. Hime-chan as the Queen sounds like it'll be great."

She clutched the book in her hand before it finally sunk in her. If they were going to leave to go to the demon world, she would have to bring the object in her hands in any case that she gets bored or left alone.

The invitation did say Lilliane of the Monster Kingdom. Does that mean she's not a resident of the human world? There must be a clue as to how she can regain back her memories from before.

"Then, I guess we're going now, yeah?" Yuma was already dragging her towards the direction of the basement, with the three following behind.

"Yeah. In all likelihood, she and the others are probably heading over there too." Ruki muttered.

"I want to hurry...and see Eve..."

The door was huge, and she can feel a sense of darkness around it. Figures. This must be the passage to the demon world. She rarely paid attention to their path and simply followed next to the four brothers so she wouldn't get lost.

How troublesome it would be being alone in a place she's not familiar with.

"My oh my, don't tell me, Father's invited you four as well?"

Lilliane was somehow lost for words. She had seen him before. At school, maybe? What was his name again? Her eyes met with familiar pink ones, surprise evident in her face as well.

"Hime-senpai!"

"Yui-san. If you're here then that must mean..."

"Yo, melons."

Oh that annoying nickname. The redhead vampire was grinning at her direction which she simply ignored and instead turned her attention at the male wearing eyeglasses. Behind him was the blond haired male she saw Yuma conversing with before-well-more of the giant shouting at him. He looked nonchalant as ever; the white haired one beside him seemed like he'd be anywhere but here.

"It's a carnival! As they say, the more the merrier!" For once Kou's cheery voice did not annoy her. Probably because she can feel the tension between the two families around her right now.

"Merrier? This is just some dumb mistake, isn't it?"

"Don't be like that Subaru-kun. Come on...let's all get along here..."

"Chichinashi, you'd have to be talkin' in your sleep to say that!"

"Exactly. Don't be ridiculous! For us to get along with these people? As if that'd ever happen!"

Noisy. Too much turmoil. How can Komori Yui, a very meek girl fit in with such a rambunctious group of people? She sighed at the thought, feeling sorry for the young girl.

"B-But...at the very least, we should all try to enjoy the carnival together." Yui tried once again.

"Huh? Who ever said we'd enjoy this carnival together?" Annoyance can be detected from the eldest Sakamaki's voice.

"Eh!? Shu-san...s-so we're not?"

"Obviously. I didn't even want to go to this carnival."

"Ditto. The old man did say to come, but he didn't say to walk around the carnival, now did he?"

"Subaru-kun, not you too..."

Yes. She definitely felt sorry for Yui.

"You can walk around with me if you want." She offered. It'd be a shame not to walk around in such a festive event, she thought. And being with a girl for a change doesn't sound so bad either.

"Bitch-chan, senpai. It's not safe for two lovely ladies to walk around here. If you want I can escort you both. I know a place where we can all have fun."

"Laito, don't decide things on your own."

"Would you like to participate in the carnival with her too, Reiji?"

"That's not it. I simply wanted to say that some precautions are needed to be with her. If I am not mistaken, this young lady with the Mukamis was chosen as the Queen for this carnival."

 _Two humans with special blood. A feast for the residents of the underworld._ How fun. It seems like enjoying the carnival would be impossible after all.

She blocked out their conversation, instead focusing on her surroundings. It felt oddly nostalgic. She had been here before hasn't she? Maybe, maybe not. She saw a young boy holding the hand of an older woman. He grinned showing his tiny fangs to the adult.

How cute.

"U-Uhm!"

"Hm? What's wrong, M Neko-chan?"

"Do you and the others know what the queen is?"

"Ahhh, thaaat. To be honest, we have no clue either.."

"I-I see."

None of the Sakamakis seemed to know either.

"Don't worry about that Chichinashi! We'll find out when that one thing comes, yeah?"

"That one thing?"

"The carnival's finale ball. This whole queen thing will probably be brought up there." Shu answered, letting out a yawn in the process. "That gaudy place is the carnival's top attraction, so many people will go."

Is that so? She agreed with him though. Even for such a thing the decoration were too...flashy for her liking. Almost to the point of being tasteless.

Back to the situation at hand, Reiji had once again brought up the possible consequences for letting two _helpless_ girls wander alone in a place full of vampires.

"Ah? You mean we gotta babysit Chichinashi and melons?"

"I swear if you call me melons one more time..."

No one seemed to hear her comment. Except for Yui who gave her with an apologetic glance.

"Hime." That's new.

Ruki always addressed her with either Livestock or pet. Looks like he still has some manners after all.

"Who will you go with?"


	8. Dark 07

There were four clans in the demon world. Vampires, Vibora, Wolf, and Eagle clan. However there was another one, the race that stood on par with the Founders of the kingdom.

The Phoenix clan consists of only one family, considered to be royalty in the realm of the underworld. In every generation, siblings are assigned to kill each other in order to obtain the throne even at a young age. The reason for this is because once a juvenile phoenix matures, they become immortal, making it impossible for them to be killed.

Chaos would ensue if multiple matured phoenixes are left to co-exist, hence the tradition.

However, this practice has been rejected by the last crowned king of the said clan. Wanting his children to be able to have the bond he never had with his siblings, he forbid them to kill each other unless they find themselves in a position in which they must end each other's life.

"How is she?"

"She's in good hands, Gareth." The man sighed, leaning back his seat as his host poured him another cup of wine.

"Karl, I appreciate this."

"Gareth. It is nothing but helping an old friend. Do not mention it."

"Kikyo was keen on having her succeed their family business. I gave Lilliane my word that I would do what I can to change her mother's mind."

The Vampire King nodded in understanding. Karlheinz knew how his wives brought up his children as well. Even though he had different plans set for them such as the Apple of Adam plan.

On the other hand, Gareth knew he had failed to protect his children mentally from his wife. They had all been trained in the art of assassination, courtesy of Kikyo; which made it difficuly for them to understand the bond of a family. His fear had come true.

"Why remove the memories of your daughter, Gareth?"

"The moment she realizes her brother is alive, she'd request for an approval to a duel."

"It's a legitimate reason to kill someone isn't it?"

"That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

"Hey Sow! Hurry up will ya!"

It wasn't her fault. His legs were just so damn long. She can feel the burning of her thighs as she struggled to keep up with his pace. If only she wore pants. Unfortunately due to the unexpected turn of events, she left with them wearing her usual dress and boots.

"Jesus, you're really fucking slow aren't ya?"

She let out a yelp of surprise as she suddenly find herself being lifted off the ground. Yuma had placed her over his shoulder like a sack and proceeded to walk normally, ignoring the stares from the vampires around them.

"Yuma! What are you doing? Please put me down!"

"Shut it! It'll be easier to protect you this way."

Yuma wasn't stupid. He knew that her blood was already attracting the attention of everyone around them. He thought that she'd choose Ruki due to the fact that they both somehow have the same interests, but instead she chose him.

Her reason? Just on a whim.

"But, Yuma..."

"Look around you Sow. They can all smell your blood. It'll be troublesome for me if they somehow got their hands on you. Got it?"

She slowly nodded. What other choice did she have?

She paid no mind to her surroundings until Yuma had let her down on her feet. The smell of sugar and sweets filled her nose. They were in front of a sugar house.

"Senpai?"

A meek voice called out to her. She recognized it as Yui who was with Ayato, gulfing a couple of takoyaki balls in his mouth.

"Yui, please just call me Hime. We're not in school after all."

"Oh, Melons and Mukami Yuma."

"Huh? Melons? Hey Sow, is he talking about you?" He asked, turning to his right only to find himself talking with thin air.

She was gone.

The sound of the two females conversing made the two look at the entrance where they just entered.

"I see. I'm kind of excited as well. This is my first time being in a sugar house. Why don't we take a look over there?"

"Ah, sure se-I mean Hime-san."

The irony was ridiculous. Yuma and Ayato had started to glare at each other, while Yui and Lilliane distanced themselves and were occupied with tasting the assorted color and shaped sugars.

"Yuma." She called out to him.

He gave her a look which expressed his annoyance at having to be in one place with the Sakamaki vampire. Giving him a warm smile, she held out a piece of sugar in front of him.

Oh. She was offering it to him. Wait. Was she going to feed him?

"Aren't you going to open your mouth?"

She blinked innocently making the red tint that started to form in his cheeks go darker. Like an obedient child, he opened his mouth. Lilliane placed the treat on his tongue, the sweet snack immediately melting inside.

"Well? It tastes good doesn't it?"

"It's sugar. It's sweet. Of course it tastes good."

"I see? That's a relief."

Still clutching the bag of sugar in her hands, she smiled to herself. He looked so cute when she fed him the sweet. She wouldn't dare tell it to him though.

Where was Yui? She must be with Ayato. The redhead must've dragged her when she was preoccupied with the sugar. Looking around, she caught the bright color of the boy's hair. However they weren't alone. Someone who seemed to be the shop owner had a scowl on his face as if lecturing them about something.

"Humans aren't allowed here. Get out!"

"Huh? Don't give me that crap! Chichinashi ain't a normal human here old man!"

"Yui, Ayato. Is there a problem here?"

"What the-another hu-Nngh!"

Why was the man staring at her like that? Like he was frozen with fear. Ayato himself also noticed the sudden change in the man's actions.

"A-Are you with them, Madam?"

Madam?

"Yes. Did something happen?"

"N-no! Of course not! T-then please! Enjoy to your heart's content!"

Ah. He disappeared. He looked like he was in a rush. Did she do something wrong?

"Oi, you suddenly rushed off Sow. What'd I miss?"

She can only shrug, because even she had no idea what just happened. She just took a couple pieces of the sugar from the bag and popped it in her mouth. Yuma did the same, taking twice the amount she just did.

"Well, this is getting boring. Let's go Chichinashi!"

"Ayato-kun! Wait for me!"

After a few minutes, they left the shop as well, walking side by side on the streets. For a demon carnival, it sure seemed very lively. She thought that it would be more...well...a bit scary.

"Hey Sow."

"What?" She had given up on trying to get him to call her name. He was stubborn like that.

"C'mere."

He was staring at her intently. Then she realized that he was holding out his hand for her to take. She placed her own on top of it, his fingers immediately closing on the much small hand.

His hand was warm. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

"Hold on tight. You're so small so don't stay away okay?" She nodded.

She kept her head down because she knew that her face was as bright as his was before when she fed him the sugar. She failed to notice how he caught a glimpse of her reddening cheeks, making him smile cheekily at her reaction.

She looked cute.


	9. Dark 08

"Hime-chan! Let's go to a dress shop! Hurry up!"

She really hated running. She felt like a rag doll being dragged all over the place by a 5 year old kid. While walking around the carnival with Yuma, they ran into Azusa and Kou who asked to exchange his companion for her. Obviously it ended with her being kidnapped by the blond idol; she didn't have time to voice out her concerns-as if she had a choice.

They stopped in front of a huge dress shop. The color palette of the store was fairly good, not as disgusting as the ones she saw before. This one seemed homey and cozy.

Not to mention, the clothes looked expensive.

They entered the shop, Kou immediately browsing through the clothes. There were gowns, dresses and many attires for both genders and ages. The one who created these must be really talented.

Her eyes caught a mannequin wearing a dress with a corset, the arms were covered with a long piece of clothing, the skirt reaching to the knees. It looked like an elegent gothic dress. It was very beautiful.

"Do you like it?"

She was startled by the sudden voice of a female. She had dark curly hair and was staring at her with a warm smile on her face.

"Welcome! I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me Eli. I'm the owner of this shop. I also design these dresses! That one is my particular favorite, you know? Do you wanna try it on?"

"I-I'm not-well..."

"Hime-chan?"

"Kou!"

Instead of the usual smile on his face, he was glaring at the shop owner. Elizabeth didn't seem to like it as she reached out to pinch both of his cheeks.

"What's with that attitude, huh brat? Want me to kick you out of my store?"

"Ouch! Ouch! Let go, you-!"

He had to pull himself away from her, Lilliane noticed; it must be really painful as Kou even stared at her with crocodile tears. She giggled a bit at his reaction but gave in and patted his head as he leaned down on her chest.

"That old woman was mean Hime-chan. Let's get out of here."

"Wha-who are you calling old you brat?"

"Kou, did you find me a dress?"

As if remembering his mission, he once again surged through the multiple dresses lined up on the rack and kept himself busy.

"Well, your child looks occupied. Would you like some tea?"

Lilliane nodded, accepting the offer. Elizabeth led her to a lounge area and went to the backroom to fetch their drink. Her book was hung on her shoulders with a strap she borrowed from Ruki, so she can carry the object with ease.

"Here you go. I hope it's to your liking."

"Thank you. Since when have you been designing clothes?"

"Ever since I was a kid. My parents didn't support it, but I was stubborn. Kind of like your boyfriend over there." She choked on her drink when she heard the word 'boyfriend'.

"You mean Kou? Oh no! He's not-I mean, I just live with his family."

"Hmm. He looks really attached to you though."

She wasn't wrong. Kou was like a brother to her. There were times when he acted like a kid; but she knew that his real face was the sadistic one she saw in the alley. He showed her pure and raw emotion back then, but it didn't scare her. If he was comfortable enough around her to reveal his true colors, then it was a good thing.

"That dress, was something I created for a very dear friend. It's a shame she never got to try it on."

"What happened?" She took another sip from her tea, the warm taste making her feel relaxed. And somewhat sleepy.

Was she that tired? To be fair she had been running around with Yuma, and now with Kou all night. It's prefectly reasonable to be this tired. Right?

"She disappeared."

Her vision was getting blurry. The sound of a cup falling on the floor made her ears ring. And now she's getting dizzy. What was in that tea?

"I'm sorry, Hime. Sleep for a while, okay?"

* * *

Lilliane was nowhere to be found. And to think that he really put an effort into searching a dress that would look good on her. Her scent and presence disappeared. Where did she go?

"Hmm. Hey you! Do you know where Hime-chan went?"

Elizabeth looked up from the magazine she was reading and gave him a scowl for interrupting her.

"Oh. She left just a few minutes ago."

"Eh? Are you lying? Hey. If you are, I'm warning y-"

"Brat."

Kou suddenly felt cold. There were no open windows and the door was closed. So it wasn't the wind. His hands were shaking. The woman in front of him was no doubt more than just a dress shop owner in the demon realm.

Her bloodlust was something he can consider to be on par with those Sakamaki purebloods. No. Maybe even stronger.

"You don't threaten me in my own store. Now get out before I force you to."

He had no choice but to leave. If she did left before him then she'd be alone in a place full of vampires. Her blood must be precious enough that Karlheinz, the vampire king even arranged for her to be the Queen of this carnival.

With that thought in mind, he ran towards the opposite direction and decided to find one of his brothers.

Back in the shop, Elizabeth sighed before going inside the backroom where Lilliane was sleeping deeply. She was finally back, however she did not expect her to be with a vampire.

"I got the thing you asked for."

"Oh Kira. Welcome back."

"I postponed my precious sleep because of this." He said, holding up a vial of red liquid. "It was really troublesome running after some bloodsucker aristocrat."

Just a bit more. She did see the eyepatch on her left eye. It seems she did take precautions after all. She tapped the pocketwatch hanging on her chest.

"Zaphkiel." The necklace glowed, transforming itself into the shape of a man. He was wearing a coat and tie with a top hat, gloves adorning his hands.

"Did you know this would happen?"

"She predicted it. Our contract was nullified. I kept her eye safe. Once she gets back her memories..."

"Please put a limiter spell on her eye."

How surprising. It was something he considered. However, a servant cannot oppose his master.

"You are aware, that the purpose of our contract is for me to protect her?"

"Yes. That's why I'm asking you to do it for your master."

Elizabeth held her ground. Her stare was firm. Even as a God, he knew that with his current state; without a vessel, she can kill him in an instant.

"Very well." He said.

"For the Princess."


	10. Dark 09

Lilliane was missing. The initial thought they had was that their benefactor would be disappointed. However, it was quite the opposite. He simply laughed and claimed that it can't be helped.

It was a bit confusing, Ruki thought. He still had so much to learn about the Demon world. It seems like the girl entrusted to them was a resident of this realm after all.

"She's in good hands, that I am sure of. By now, she must be aware of her responsibility as the queen of the carnival."

He didn't know how to explain it to his brothers either. Especially since Kou has been making a huge deal about her missing, and Yuma's attitude wasn't helping either.

It was none of his concern, he convinced himself.

Her head was being tilted, mouth opened, some form of liquid entering her throat. Every single drop of blood from the vial was transported inside her.

Opening her eyes, she felt warm.

Memories started flashing in her mind; what happened in her life the years before; the hardships she endured to be the person she was today.

That's right.

She was the second princess of the Royal Family of the Monster Kingdom. The Phoenix Clan.

She wasn't human.

How can she forget such a trivial thing?

"How long was I out?" She asked. Elizabeth had brought her another cup of tea, which she accepted gratefully.

"Quite longer than expected Hime-chan."

"I see. It seems like my mother's idea to name me the queen of this carnival. Seriously. What a troublesome task I've been given."

Elizabeth stared at her with wide eyes. Did she plan on joining the final event after all? It was too risky. But knowing Lilliane, nothing can make her change her mind.

First, she needed to meet up with the Mukamis. Disappearing like that is rude, even for her. She doubt that they would be worried; probably only troubled that their Livestock went missing.

Ha. Livestock. What a funny word.

For most of her life, she was anything but that. She stood on top of anything else, a name given to her the day she was born. It wasn't something she wished to have. The status she had to bear with as she grew up.

"If you're planning to show up in Eden, I have the perfect dress for you."

"Oh, Eli. You always liked to treat me like a dress up doll."

She recognized it at the one displayed on the corner; the dress she was staring at. Now that she got a closer look at it...It was gorgeous.

A dress befitting a Princess.

"A corset huh?"

"I've trained your body long enough for it to be able to handle this thing Hime-chan." She said giving her a mischevious smile.

"It's been a while since I've worn a corset. Please go easy on me."

"Hmm...No promises."

* * *

It was definitely her. That woman in the dress shop. She may be able to change her hair color, but not her face. No matter how many times she denies it.

"Oi, Kou! Are you sure about this?" Yuma asked angrily. He really wanted to eat his sugar cube in peace, but instead he was dragged by Kou outside to search for Lilliane.

Then they stumbled upon this redhead that the blond recognized.

"Kou-kun, maybe we should calm down for a bit." Yui said, trying to lessen the tension in the air.

Beside her, Ayato scowled. He really wanted to try the new crepes they passed by earlier, and of course the infamous takoyaki of the underworld.

"Like I said you must've mistaken me for someone. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Hey wait a second! You're definitely her! The woman in that dress shop!"

At the mention of the said store, she seemed to pause and think.

"Could it be...you're talking about my sister?"

And that's how the group found themselves inside a café all sat around a table. The girl who said that her name was Lilibeth, took a sip of her coffee and stared at them. She was wondering what a human being was doing in the demon realm. She couldn't care about blood prejuidice but of course, a human cannot pass the barrier of the underworld unless they are allowed to.

"Is this the first time you have went to this carnival?" They all nodded in response.

"I see. It seems Hime was chosen as the Queen, huh."

"Lilibeth-san, how do yu know Hime-san?" Yui asked mustering up her courage.

"Hmm...I guess you can say that we've had a long history together." She continued. "Furthermore, this isn't a simple carnival. I am not sure how much your King has told you, but this was arranged by the Phoenix clan. Hime's father to be precise. The final event isn't something to be taken lightly."

"Her responsibility as the Queen...I see. His Majesty did keep his promise after all."

"What are you talking about?" Yuma asked, now curious with the conversation.

"Lilliane-no-she preferred to be called Hime, right? Yes, she is no doubt the one I know. She is the second princess of the Phoenix clan from the Monster Kingdom."

"Phoenix clan? I thought there were only four clans?"

"No." Ayato interrupted. "Our old man had mentioned it before. The Phoenix clan is considered as the royalty of both demons and ghouls. They stand on par with the Founders race. They are the original immortals. Nothing can harm them once they mature. Well, at least that's what I heard."

"You are right. For now, Hime is just a juvenile phoenix. So she isn't yet completely immortal."

If Lilliane did plan to participate in the Carnival, then it meant that her sister had successfully broken the curse blocking her memories.

"Thinking back, you only know that half asleep Hime right? Since she doesn't remember anything when she was with you."

Silence enveloped the group.

"I feel like it's Hime's choice to tell you about this. Still, whatever you see tonight, please do not think ill of her."

Lilibeth saw how the teachings of Lilliane's mother had affected her life. It wasn't something that you'd consider to be a good thing for a child.

Kikyo was truly an evil woman.

"Have you ever heard of the Valentin family?" They shook their heads in response.

"Figures. Some don't believe they exist. They are a family of very proficient killers, trained by tradition in every generation. They are like assassins.

Hime's mother, the Queen, is a living descendant of that family. If there's someone in the Underworld they want dead, that's who they call."

She sighed before continuing.

"Hime...was trained by her mother as well."

That's enough. She gave away too much information. Would her friend be mad about this? Hime wasn't one to be affected by her upbringing but...

"Is that it?" Yuma asked.

"Yuma-kun..."

However, Lilibeth merely chuckled. How interesting. So Hime was in the company of such amusing people.

"If this does not change the way you see her, then it's not a problem." She stood up and placed a few bills on the table.

"Please...take care of Lilliane."


	11. Dark 10

_"Lilliane? Won't you play for Onee-sama again?"_

 _The younger princess scowled at her sister. Her dark hair bouncing as she turned her head. Her older sister Virgilia, with her light blonde hair and a tiara over her head gave her a warm smile._

 _"Don't call me that! I don't like being called by that name."_

 _"Well, that's troubling...I know! How about Hime-chan?"_

 _"Hime?"_

 _"Yes. That's Japanese for Princess. Do you like it?"_

 _The little girl blushed, the arms of her beloved sibling startling her. She was warm. Hime. It's a good name._

 _"I...don't dislike it." Virgilia chuckled._

 _"You're so cute Hime-chan. Onee-sama loves you very much."_

"Onee-sama..."

She fiddled with the pocketwatch as Elizabeth fixed the mask on her face. The ball for tonight required them to wear a masquarade. How troublesome these things are. She's not one to care about these events. Still, if the Sakamaki brothers will be there...surely...

"Hime-chan, are you ready?" She nodded, Kira escorting her as they got out of the carriage.

"I really hate these stuff. My old man always forces me to attend these dances.

"Being the son of the grim reaper sure is dreadful, huh?"

"You're one to talk. With your mother being like that and all."

She pinched the side of his body, making him let out a grunt of pain. As they entered the ballroom, she can feel watchful eyes staring at them.

Now, she just needed to find any of the Mukami brothers. Or Yui, before one of her siblings find her. She let go of Kira's arm and excused herself before wandering around. She found herself leaving the dance hall and walking outside the balcony.

"The moon looks good, doesn't it?" She jumped at the all too familiar voice. Her brother mirrored the same eyes she had, only a bit darker. He looked...mature.

"Emile onii-sama. Is father-"

"It wasn't his intention, Lilliane."

"I know."

It was her fault. Being controlled like that; what had happened to her pride? Or did she even have one in the first place?

"Immortality. What a cruel fate we've been given. It's a curse you know...watching the people around you die. And the worst part is that you keep on living, as if they didn't exist in the first place."

Emile disappeared as soon as she dared to look at him again. The responsibility as the Queen. She did not like it. Being locked down in a battlefield once again...

"Hime, it's almost time for the Vandead Carnival."

Elizabeth suddenly appeared, and for a second she was startled. Her twin sister Lilibeth stood behind, giving her a look full of pity. She did not want that. No. She didn't need to be pitied.

"I see."

* * *

 _"Ivan! That's enough!" The blond boy released the raven haired girl at the voice of his sister._

 _"Hime-chan. Are you okay?" She was crying. He only wanted to tease her a bit. Because who was she anyway?_

 _Ivan would not accept her as his sister._

 _She may have inherited the eyes of their father, but she had a different smell altogether. Lilliane was the only one to have their mother's dark hair._

 _"Ivan. How many times do we have to tell you, stop bullying your sister."_

 _"Shut up Emile! That monster isn't my sister."_

 _He felt the sting on his cheek. It was truly painful. But he wouldn't cry. No, as a prince he will not dare to show any weakness._

 _"Take that back Ivan!"_

 _"Lia. There's no need to-"_

 _"Did you hear him, Emile? Such things shouldn't be said by a child."_

 _He hated her. Every single part of her. Lilliane was his kryptonite._

 _Because Ivan did not remember having a sister like her. She can't be. She would belong to him._

Greetings were exchanged. It was common courtesy for the guests to greet the Royal family, as they barely show themselves to the public.

The host, Karlheinz, announced the official start of the ball. In one corner, Yui was with Ayato and Kanato in front of the buffet table. They were both indulging themselves in the food of the underworld as they wouldn't be able to experience it again in the human world.

Shu had found himself conversing with an acquaintance who shared the same interest as him, music. Kira's headphones were hung around his neck as he discussed the subtle development of classical music throughout the years.

"Quite a ruckus isn't it?" Ruki looked up from his book, and found himself staring at the very girl who was missing before.

He took note of how her hair had been arranged, and the dress she was wearing definitely is not something commonly created. Sighing, he placed his book down, silently ordering one of his familiars to look after it.

Ruki offered a hand to Lilliane, an invitation which she took gracefully and made there way in the middle of the dancefloor.

He can waltz really good. Well, as expected of a former aristocrat.

"I've heard about your heritage, Livestock."

"And you're still calling me that?"

"I don't see you complaining about it, Hime-sama." She giggled at his formal response.

Lilliane felt his arm pull her closer to him. His body was cold. No heat came from him, in contrast to hers. As the song ended, Ruki gave her a gentle kiss on the back of her hand before leading her to the side once again.

"The queen will be announced soon."

"I know."

The two observed the couples on the dancefloor. It almost looked...human like. An ironic thought seeing as every single person inside this castle was a demon.

"Ruki-kun. I will probably be gone for a few days." She continued. "There are some things I have to settle. Particularly one with my mother."

"Hime-san..."

"Azusa-kun?" The meek boy had the same melancholic expression on his face as usual.

"Are you...leaving...us?" She smiled, patting the soft locks on his head.

"I will come back. No matter what."

Yuma himself did not like such extravagant affairs. He placed another sugar cube in his mouth, observing the blooming plants in the garden.

Eden was truly a beautiful place.

He heard footsteps coming towards his direction, but he did not move. The smell was all too familiar. She sat beside him, her mask now discarded and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"What're you doing here, Sow?" His tone was the same brash one as always. It matched his brute personality.

"Admiring the flowers. I am free to do so, yes?"

"Tch. Do what you want."

How can she be so comfortable with him, he wonders. This girl who suddenly appeared in their home. Having this special blood that is on par with that of Eve's.

She was just a stranger. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Yuma-kun. May I...taste your blood?"

"Huh?"

He was dumbfounded by her request. Why would she want to do that? He knows the blood of a vampire tastes anything but good.

Still, he extended his wrist. She gratefully took it, biting down on the flesh. His blood was cold. The blood of a half-breed. Her eyes moved up and met the back of his head.

"Are you done now?"

"Yes." He faced her immediately, a smug grin on his face.

Ah there it was. That smile of his made her feel somewhat...at ease.

"Then it's my turn now."

She was pushed down the bench, Yuma covering her body with his. She loosened the tie of her choker, revealing her skin to him. He leaned down and for a moment she thought he was going to bite her as well.

The moment she closed her eyes, soft lips were pressed against hers, moving with such urgency that she almost lost her breath.

Then the pain appeared. Yuma bit her tongue, the metallic taste of the liquid filling her mouth. He then proceeded to bite on her neck, pulling out only to press his fangs down the middle of her chest.

It was fine to bask herself in a bit of pleasure, right?

Because she knew that in the end, there might not be a possibility for her to return to the Mukami household.


	12. Dark Epilogue

_When I bit her,_  
 _I was filled with different emotions._

 _Who was she to me?_

 _I didn't want to let her go,_  
 _This intoxicating blood,_  
 _That I had the liberty of drinking._

 _Am I going to lose something again?_

 _You belong to me,_  
 _I whispered in her ear._

 _My arms tightened around her body,_  
 _Knowing that it was nothing,_  
 _But a temporary leverage._

* * *

Lilliane stood in front of a huge gate. It's been a while since she was home. Pushing it open, the heavy iron door was opened, and she half expected someone to be waiting for her on the other side.

The family's guard dog, Duran, gave her the same lifeless eyes that held a sense of respect for its returning master.

She held out her hand to pat its head as the dog kept it down so she can reach it. He had grown in such a short time. Almost 10 feet, she estimated.

She continued to walk on the familiar path; it was then she noticed one of their maids, standing between the two pillars of the inner garden.

"Welcome back, my lady." She said, bowing her head slightly.

"I'm home, Sayori."

She passed by her, but stopped for a while and said,

"The outside world...was fun."

When she was out of view, Sayori smiled for her master. Turning around, she followed the pavement leading to the main mansion. The head butler had given her the task of rearranging the young lady's room. Even though there was no need to, as she knew that her master would've eventually return.

Her only concern is what consequences she will be facing for harming another family member.

Lilliane entered her room with the same neutral expression. Nothing changed. It was still the same dull color as ever.

She laid down her bed with a sigh. The soft mattress under her felt years older compared to one inside the Mukami household.

What could they be doing right now?

 _You seem like you're in deep thought._

Right. She almost forgot that Zaphkiel was with her. Lifting the pocketwatch above her line of sight, the voice from the object bugging her mind to no end.

She remembered the words of her brother.

 _Immortality. What a cruel fate we've been given. It's a curse you know...watching the people around you die. And the worst part is that you keep on living, as if they didn't exist in the first place._

"It just...feels strange to be home."

 _Is that really the only thing in your mind?_

She didn't answer.

It's not like she can with the furious knocking on her door and the sound of her older brother coming from the other side. She stood up, taking the pocketwatch and placing in on her bedside table.

Now, how should she greet her mother?

* * *

"Hime-san...has been gone...for a really...long time..."

Kou looked at his brother, who had a solemn look on his face. They were all at school, and it'd been 2 weeks since they left the Demon world without her.

There was no farewell message. After the party, they were told that she had left for the castle of the Phoenix Clan. Not even the two sisters can tell them about her whereabouts.

"Ahhh, Subaru-kun, I miss Hime-chan!"

"Like I said, what's that got to do with me?! Why are you here anyway?"

The youngest Sakamaki had his fists closed, ready to smash something in case Kou annoys him once again. Azusa seemed to feel his intent, and had half a mind to take the beating for his brother, but decided that this wasn't the time to succumb to his desires.

"By the way Kou, you look tired. Have you been sleeping?"

"Hmm? Subaru-kun could it be-! You're worried about me?"

"Wha-!" His cheeks were flushed; it was obvious that the blond idol was teasing him.

"I-It's not like I'm worried! You just looked uglier than usual, that's all!"

It wasn't the same though. The nightmares had started to visit him in his sleep once again. When Lilliane slept in the same bed as him, he had someone to embrace; touch without being deceived. Her body was warm and comforting.

The mansion was quiet, when they arrived. Normally, Yuma would be chastised by her for leaving his bag in the foyer area or during dinner, she makes sure that everyone gets their equal share of food.

Even though they'd taken her blood roughly during the full moon, she never held any grudge against them. She was like the sister he never had. It felt weird having get used to a person taking care of you, and then disappearing like that.

So this was how it felt to care for someone.

"Yuma-kun, you haven't touched your food yet."

As if it brought him back to reality, Yuma picked up his cutlery and started to eat. His movements were robotic. He had no appetite. The memory of the night in the garden kept replaying in his mind.

The way she drank his blood with her flushed cheeks and crimson eyes. Her eyes turn red when she drinks blood; he noticed that.

Come to think of it, her lips tasted like his sweet su-

"Yuma-kun!" Out of surprise, he stood up suddenly.

They all stared at him as if he had been possessed by an invisible force. His cheeks were burning, he can feel it. Kou would probably take notice of it sooner or-

"Why is your face red?"

-later.

"Yuma, are you okay?"

"...I'm going to bed."

His steps felt heavy. Lilliane had always been shorter than him, only a few inches taller that Azusa. She had even taken an interest in his garden, the vegetables fascinating her with its growth.

She stayed as far as possible from the roses; Kou had let it slip one time that she was allergic to them. So he decided to plant tulips instead. It wasn't for her, he was just curious about it. Yes. Just pure curiosity.

He plopped down the bed. His tall frame took up most of the space. He stared at his bedside table, a familiar jar catching his eyes. He opened it and put one piece in his mouth. It wasn't as sweet as his sugar-chan, but it didn't taste that bad either.

"What a troublesome woman you really are, Sow."

* * *

 _I had fallen asleep again,_  
 _The feeling of the whip hitting my flesh,_  
 _From the hands of my brother,_  
 _Who I stabbed before._

 _His eyes held satisfaction,_  
 _Still I felt nothing,_  
 _But longing for the freedom,_  
 _I had in the human world._

 _This was my punishment._

 _The curse I had to deal with,_  
 _For being born in this body,_  
 _The Phoenix clan,_  
 _The Royal family._

 _It was just a name,_  
 _I didn't care about._


	13. Maniac Prologue

_I was well aware,_

 _That my mother cared for us,_  
 _In a very unusual way,_  
 _One wouldn't expect._

 _Her desire was for us to be strong,_  
 _Strong enough to be warriors,_  
 _But we knew,_  
 _She wanted more than that._

 _We weren't raised as fighters,_  
 _Instead we were trained to be killers._

 _Having no remorse,_  
 _Following orders to no extent,_  
 _That was how my siblings and I grew up._

 _Being terrifyingly cruel,_  
 _To the point of being numb,_  
 _Emotions weren't a necessity._

 _Caring for someone will make you weak._

 _So I threw it all away._

* * *

 _The rain kept pouring from the sky, her clothes were soaked but she didn't move from her position. She stared down from the top of the building; her target should be arriving by now. Patience is the toughest part in their line of work. If you make a mistake, everything will fail._

 _The rifle felt cold in her hands, the temperature setting in after being outside for hours. Her eyes focused on the single spot from the other side of the lens. Then she felt it. A presence other than hers._

 _"What are you doing here?" She coldly asked._

 _"Oh my, I didn't think you'd notice. Well, as expected of my flesh and blood. You're perceptive as usual."_

 _Virgilia eyed Lilliane as she ignored her and re-entered her zone. Glancing at her pocketwatch, she held the gun once again and resumed her spotting._

 _Three more minutes._

 _"How long have you been watching me?"_

 _"Since the very beginning. As my cute little sister, it is my job to mold you into perfection as mother would like."_

 _"...I see." A black car drove by stopping in front of the building as she had expected._

 _"The familiars may sense your bloodlust. Lock your mind. Remember what I told you."_

 _"Mn." She placed her finger on the trigger, ready to be pulled when she caught a glimpse of her target._

 _The man slowly got out of the vehicle, multiple guards surrounding him at once. It still wasn't enough for them to be able to sense the bullet swiftly making its way to his head. Blood splurged out, panicked screams were heard._

 _She immediately removed herself from her spot before being discovered. She dropped down the other side of the building, walking normally through the dark alley as if she just hadn't murdered someone._

 _The innocent laughter of children can be heard, probably around her age. She was proven correct as a ball rolled down at her feet._

 _"Hey! Can you please kick the ball over here?"_

 _She would've picked it. If it weren't for her sister appearing in front of her and doing the action herself._

 _"Just a reminder Hime-chan. You do not need friends. It's unnecessary luxury. You would end up being betrayed...and if that happens...You'll kill them. Just like this."_

 _As if to prove a point, Virgilia ran towards the direction of the children and in an instant, blood spilled on the floor. She couldn't even react. Gritting her teeth, she ignored it and kept walking._

"...ke up...wake up...Hey! Don't ignore me you brat!"

She felt another lash on her stomach. She let out a yawn from the deep sleep she just had. Her brother was in the same room as her. She almost forgot about it. It wasn't like she regretted her past actions, so why did she had that dream? She didn't know.

"Oh, Good morning Nii-san. Has your wound healed yet?"

"Kch! That's something coming from the perpetrator herself!" He hit her five more times on her skin, before letting out a dark laugh.

"But you know, I really regret stabbing you Nii-san! So please forgive me, okay?" She flashed him a warm smile just to annoy him.

It worked. William was about to whip her again when the door opened, revealing their grandfather. His piercing eyes hasn't change even one bit. The old man sighed before walking towards them.

"Ojī-san!"

"William, put that thing down. Honestly, Kikyo needs to learn how to control her children."

"But, Ojī-san!"

"Silence!" He gave his grandson a hard glare. Lilliane watched the scene with amusement in her eyes. Her grandfather intimidated her, but not to that extent of William's reaction.

"Lilliane. You're free to go."

"Okay." Pulling her right arm, she freed her hand from the metal restraints, doing the same to the ones on her other arm and down her feet.

As she walked past them, William bit his lip in annoyance. The nerve of her! If only she wasn't his sister; he has the ability to kill her too!

"Gareth wants to see you. Go to him immediately."

"His majesty?"

"Yes. Do not address him in such a formal way, Lilliane. You are after all his daughter still."

She pulled the door open and left. It wasn't that she despised her father. She simply cannot understand his reasoning. Him and her wife was similar in that way.

Their mother was a very careful woman, but at the same time is a person who is joyed by the fact that her child has learned how to wield a knife at a very young age.

Sayori was already waiting for her when she entered her room. A bath has been arranged for her, along with new clothes as well. She missed he company. Even as an android, Sayori showed the emotions of a human, which was ironic considering the fact that she and her siblings who was born with real flesh were all twisted one way or another.

The water felt nice on her skin. She submerged herself in the tub before sitting up again. The scars from before started to heal, and she wonders how unnatural it is for her to still have smooth skin despite being hit repeatedly.

After getting dressed, she made her way to the king's throne room.

"Your Majesty."

"Lilliane."

Silence. She kept her ground in front of him, waiting for his next words.

"You know I forbid it to harm a member of our family."

"I know."

"Then why did you stab your own mother?"

'Because she was being controlling.'

"I do not feel obliged to answer that question. Even if you are the King or my father-no-it's exactly because you are my flesh and blood, that you should know the reason why."

The King nodded in response. Of course he knew. He just needed to hear it from her.

"Then I assume you're leaving?"

"Nobody wants to be locked up in prison...Father."

* * *

 _After that I turned away,_  
 _And left the room._

 _My luggage had been arranged,_  
 _Sayori will be accompanying me,_  
 _In the Human world._

 _I would've brought all my servants,_  
 _But even I was living in a house,_  
 _That does not belong to me._

 _'It is for my protection' she insists,_  
 _From what?_

 _I do not know._


	14. Maniac 01

Kikyo was waiting for her at the door. As expected. William was beside her with his stoic face, his own android servant Frank by his side.

"Hime-chan." Her mother called out to her sweetly in an attempt to persuade her.

As if that would work.

"It's been a while since you've been home. Won't you stay for a few more days? Now, come on and get back to your cell."

She ignored her and kept walking, Sayori following behind with her belongings.

"Don't wanna." She said.

As if it burned her, Kikyo's face turned upright, rage evident in her features. How dare she? She only wanted to protect her. How can she leave her home?

"Lilliane!" She draw out her arm to stop her; but she stopped just before her fingers touched her daughter's face.

Those eyes. How can she look at her mother with such disgust?

"Out of my way."

Lilliane proceeded to walk leaving her mother slumped down the floor, her ugly cries can be heard throughout the hall. How annoying.

"Hime-chan...You can look at me with such cold eyes now...Mother is very happy..."

Kikyo felt overwhelming joy filling her. Those were the eyes of a true killer. She had raised her perfectly. How proud she was to be her mother.

"Hime-sama."

"What is it?"

They were now out of the estate, and inside one of their family cars. She was in the backseat while Sayori served as her driver.

"Excuse my rudeness, but you look like you're thinking about something."

"Is that...so?"

Maybe she was indeed worried about something. How would they react once they see her? She did suddenly disappeared after the ball without any of them knowing.

The ride was peaceful; she almost slept. Even after leaving the demon world, nothing bad had happened yet so she was safe. For now. There's no doubt that her mother would try to capture her again and bring her back to the castle.

"...My lady?"

"It's nothing. Please do not mind me."

* * *

Ruki had ordered his familiars to clean the guestroom, a habit he had grown in to after Lilliane started to stay with them. Even as orders from the Vampire King, she was one of the people he can respect, as her wholesome attitude was a nice company once in a while.

Even Kou was whining on how she was taking too long to return; and he knew that this wasn't a simple family banter that he can easily ask for information.

The Von Phönix family.

The only lineage of the Phoenix clan; the royalty of the Demon World. Due to the immense power wielded by its members, they have isolated themselves from the other clans. It's no wonder their existence was doubted. They do not like involving themselves with other races.

"Kou, where's Yuma?"

"He's in his garden. You know, Yuma-kun has been working really hard on growing some sort of flowers lately..."

"Flowers?"

"Mm. Well enough of that! I have to go to work! I'll be expecting Vongole Bianco again later! See ya!"

Ruki sighed before turning his attention back to his book. It was awfully quiet.

The silence was almost suffocating.

Yuma blinked at the new sprouts on the flowerbed. They grew up surprisingly faster than the flowers. Well the seeds were from the demon world after all.

It smelled good too. It reminded him of her scent when he kissed her...

Realizing what he had just thought of, he shook his head before continuing his harvest on the vegetable side of the garden.

"It's not like I grew them for her..."

So why was he disappointed that she was not here to witness the full bloom of the flowers?

"Yuma...the flowers...aren't you...going to pick them..?"

"Wa-! Oi, Azusa! Don't just appear out of nowhere! You scared me!"

"But I've been here...the whole time..."

He had been watching Yuma sigh and stare at the fresh tulips for the past ten minutes. It's like he was waiting for something...or rather, someone.

Ignoring his brother's protests, Azusa kneeled down to smell the scent of the flower. Unlike roses, they don't have thorns so they can't prick his finger. It had a different type of aura; he did remember Yuma buying something from the demon world.

"Seriously..."

Yuma shoved the basket full of vegatables into Azusa's arms, startling the younger boy.

"Anyway, since you're here, take this inside will you?"

"Okay..."

After Azusa left, Yuma made his way back to the flowerbeds again.

"Damn it."

* * *

She hid her presence as soon as they arrived at the mansion. It was the same as usual. How long has it been since she was gone? Her mother had deprived her of seeing anyone except for her and William ever since they had locked her up down the dungeon.

It's not like she'd die of starvation anyway. Her brother's whipping hurt a lot. She felt the rage from every hit he brought down to her body.

It was his fault for being that weak anyway.

Truth be told, she kind of felt bad. So she let him do as he pleased. With that they were even. But the next time he tries to get in her way...

She'll surely kill him with no objections.

As soon as she stepped inside the garden area, she was met with the sight of the tall Mukami, holding on to a piece of tulip flower.

Since when had he started to grow tulips?

He looked like the typical teenager holding that flower in his hand. She hated roses, but tulips were a different story. Did he grow them for her? She seemed to be frozen on the ground and he still did not notice her presence.

"Idiot...I don't even know if you like tulips..." He muttered. It was more of a whisper, but she heard it.

It made her feel warm for some reason.

So he did grow them for her.

"How long are you going to stand there, Livestock?"

She was startled by Ruki's voice. They were still a safe distance away from Yuma. And the oldest Mukami had whispered in her ear.

The minute she turned around, he was gone. Was it her imagination? It can't be. However she did realize that she had been doing nothing but stand there for the past five minutes.

What was she going to say?

She took a step forward. And another. And another one. Until she was an arm away from him. His back was still facing her, but by the way his breathing hitched, she knew he felt it.

He was now fiddling with the stem of the flower. Before she can speak, the item was already in front of her. Yuma's arm reached out to close the distance, offering her the tulip.

"You're not allergic to these aren't ya, sow?"

He still had that scowl on his face.

She accepted it and shook her head, clutching the item to her chest.

"Took you long enough, sow."

"I'm back...Yuma."


	15. Maniac 02

"Hime-sama, shall I brew some tea?"

"Your clothes are slightly crooked, my lady."

"Will you really be okay without me accompanying you, Hime-sama?"

She was being pampered too much. They can only stare dumbfounded as Lilliane politely declined every offer the maid gave her.

Ruki ignored it. Growing up an aristocrat, he knew what it felt like. She didn't seem to be that annoyed though. But his brothers were.

"Hime-sama this, Hime-sama that. Ruki-kun! That maid is hogging Hime-chan all to herself!"

She merely chuckled at his outburst. Kou acted like a cat, really. He had grown a habit of laying down her lap, her fingers stroking through his smooth blond hair. He was the only one really bothered by Sayori's presence, she thought.

"Sayori is my personal maid. Well, she was originally human...they say old habits die hard."

"Human?" Ruki asked, looking up from his book.

The smooth roaring of the vehicle engine was calming for the ride. They were all silent for a minute before she replied.

"Sayori's human form...is an android that I created."

Just then, the limousine stopped. They all stepped out of the car, as the group went to their respective classrooms. Yuma and Lilliane had the same first class, while the other three were in different rooms.

"Oh my. It seems we have a test today."

"Are you serious?"

He did not seem like the type to study. She chuckled internally. As she can recall, the second son of the Sakamaki family were in the same class as them.

If it's something as simple as math...

Then she has no problems finishing it before the given time. Yuma looked like he was struggling. Or maybe he gave up. Both are possible scenarios. She laid her head down the desk as she stared up at the moon.

She finished too early. Maybe she should've done it by the pace of a normal human being. Quite ironic considering she was anything but that at all.

The next was history. And Ruki was in the same class as hers.

The Salem witch trials, huh? She heard that this school have some connections outside of the country. But why were they studying about such mythical things like witches?

It's not like she hasn't met one. Some were pleasant, others absolutely disgusted her to no extent.

It seems 'witch hunting' was very popular during the Dark ages.

* * *

"It's finally over! Huh? Azusa-kun, where's Hime-chan?"

"She had to tutor...second years...again..."

"Eh? Wait, so that means...M-neko-chan must be there!"

He immediately teleported to where he can sense her presence. In a classroom. When he opened the door however...all he can think of was how unusual the atmosphere was.

They all seemed to be focused on the papers on their desk. Yui wasn't there, but the Sakamaki triplets were present.

"There finished! Yours Truly can go home now, right?" Ayato was the first to pass his paper.

Lilliane scanned it before giggling and tearing it apart. The redhead could not believe his eyes. That bitch.

"Too bad, Ayato-kun. Your answers were all wrong. Now, then. Feel free to start again!"

Kou blinked at the scene. The usual boisterous Sakamaki had a defeated look on his face as he grudgingly went back to his seat. Inside his mind, he was already thinking of multiple ways to kill the upperclassman in front of them.

"How do I say it? It feels more like a prison than a classroom..."

"Kou? What are you doing here? I told Azusa-kun that I'll be going home late for a while."

"Well, I thought M-neko-chan was going to be here..." He made himself comfortable by dragging one of the chairs and sitting backwards, his arms leaning on the back of it.

"Yui got a decent score on her test. So she doesn't need tutoring. These three however..."

The next to try was Kanato.

"I'm all finished! Now give ne back Teddy!"

Oh right. The violet-haired vampire wasn't in possession of his stuff toy. He didn't notice it earlier, but now that he can see that his arms were free.

"Hmm...you got most of them right...but it's not good enough. I can't return Teddy to you."

"You-! Give me back Teddy-I'll kill you-Mmf!"

He was stopped in his tracks, her hand gripping his cheeks together. Tears were on the verge of falling from his eyes.

"That's no good Kanato-kun. If you're going to threaten someone, actions must be put first before words."

She let go of his face, making him stumble. Reaching behind her back, she handed the teddy bear to him, which he snatched away before running outside of the room while crying.

"Hmm...Senpai. You were hiding it from us before, but you're actually a Do-S aren't you?"

"Well, who knows? Kanato-kun ran away so consider this session dismissed. Let's go, Kou."

He followed behind her. His eye can tell. She definitely wasn't normal. To be able to control vampires like that. It can't just be because of her status. It was more like...respect out of fear.

* * *

Lilliane drank her tea, Sayori standing beside her holding the teapot. The aroma was nice. and calming. Watching over a bunch of brats was tiring.

 _ **You look like you had fun tormenting them.**_

"Barely. They can't be considered as high quality prey yet-Ugh!"

She placed the cup on the table, before coughing into her hand. It's been a while since she did drink blood after all. Unlike her siblings, who can live off with any blood, she feeds on a creature far more forbidden than humans.

"Hime-sama, are you okay?"

"Yes. Clean this up. I'll go back to my room. "

"Understood."

This is bad. Her mind is all over the place. She was staggering. And suddenly arm wrapped around her shoulders. This feeling...

"Yuma?"

"You look pale, sow."

"Come here." He easily lifted her in his arms.

She was a bit lighter than the last time he carried her. He felt her head on his chest. She fainted. She looked fragile like this. Like a real princess.

He placed her down his bed and laid down beside her. He twirled a couple strands of her dark hair in his fingers. She should just stay like this. In his arms.

"So that I don't lose sight of you again."


	16. Maniac 03

**A/N: Hello! Thank you for making it this far into reading the story.I just checked the graph yesterday and was shocked to find that it's already reached 800+ reads. So, this will be very short for now. Reviews are appreciated (please review if you like this story)! I accept writing requests as well for the Diabolik Lovers Fandom (free of charge, not bout that life haha xD), so my inbox is open if you want something written for you. I will publish more details sooner later on. I will be uploading multiple chapters soon, as I didn't get to update last week. Thank you again and I hope you like the further chapters! :D**

* * *

 _ **You don't need friends. When you care for someone, you get weak. That's why, Hime-chan...you need to be strong.**_

 _ **Close your heart! You are nothing to me when you're weak.**_

 _ **Hime-chan. Someday...Onee-sama will kill you.**_

Lilliane's eyes opened in surprise. She was sweating. A lot. The voices felt real even if it was just a dream. There was a lot in her past that she didn't want to remember.

Maybe losing her memories wasn't a bad thing after all.

She scanned her surroundings, deducing that she was not in her own room. Turning her head to the side, she was met with the sight of Yuma's face an inch away from hers. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, making her head lean in the crook of his neck.

He smelled...earthy. Maybe it's because he was the only one who actually does labor in this house. It felt pleasant. She inhaled more of his scent, deciding that if he wasn't going to wake up any sooner then she might as well just embrace it.

But his neck was so close to her mouth. Her own teeth ached to bury itself down his flesh and taste his blood. She covered her mouth with her hand, biting her finger in the process. She may not be able to control herself if this went on any further.

"Are you trying to get killed, sow?"

She was suddenly pushed on her back, with Yuma hovering above her. His eyes narrowed deeply against the wound on the palm of her hand where blood was now trailing down her arm.

"This scent is dangerous..." He licked the liquid upwards, until his tongue reached the cut.

"Yuma..." She was blushing. What he was doing right now is too embarrassing.

"Don't you give me that innocent look now. Come on, I'm thirsty."

His fangs brought her pain as he bit on the exposed flesh of her shoulder. Her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. Her mouth opened, throat feeling dry all of a sudden. As if he could sense her struggle, he pushed his own wrist against her mouth. She bit it on instinct, sucking the blood roughly from his veins.

He paused to look at her. Lilliane seemed to be in a trance, her eyes glowing red once again as she continued to drink his blood.

Their eyes met, her hand releasing his wrist. Yuma's gaze went down to her lips, where the excess blood from him was lingering. Her tongue darted out to wipe the mess.

"Yuma..." She held out her hands to cup his cheeks.

"I-"

"Yuma-kun! There's a little maid trashing your garden! It's scary!"

The two separated as soon as the door opened. Their backs faced each other, both faces flushed from the comprimising position they were in earlier. Kou didn't seem to see it though.

"Eh? Hime-chan? What're yo-"

"K-Kou! What did you say about the garden?"

"Oh, right! She just appeared out of nowhere! She was pretty strong for a small kid too!"

Little...maid? It couldn't be!

Lilliane stood up from the bed and rushed outside. Sayori wasn't in the living room as usual.

"Sayori! Where are you?"

She continued to run outside and looked over the balcony. Kou was right. A small child dressed in maid costume was somehow...destroying the garden? More of like forcing her way through with the amount of luggage she was carrying.

"Hime-sama!"

Jumping over the fence, Sayori rushed over to stop the stranger looking around the place cluelessly. Her hands lifted the maid effortlessly with their height difference and threw her against the trees.

"Hime-chan what's going on?"

She ignored him and called out to Sayori. Because her attention was taken away, she did not dodge in time as a tree trunk was lunged in her direction.

"Sayori!" She wasn't harmed, but after recalibrating her sensors, her system scanned the maid before them.

"Franca! That's enough!"

"Uga."

"Hime-sama...that gynoid..."

* * *

"Uga. Uga."

"She apologizes for the trouble she gave. She said she would help for the repairs of rhe mansion."

"I see."

Even this was an unusual occurrence for them. Yuma's garden was completely destroyed and the backyard part of the mansion is barely even in tact.

Lilliane sighed before drinking her tea. Franca was the first gynoid assigned to her before she even created Sayori. She was destroyed during an attack, and was kept in repairs for the time being.

However, she did not expect Franca to follow her master when it realized that she was not in the castle.

"Franca. Who sent you here?"

"Uga."

Father?

"I see. Sayori, assist Franca in repairing the garden. Finish it before dawn."

"Yes, My lady." The two servants left leaving the rest of them in the living room.

"Livestock, your servants are very eccentric."

"I apologize for this, Ruki-kun. As you can see, Franca isn't capable of producing any human language. She only follows my orders, so she can be a handful sometimes."

After finishing her cup, she excused herself to get ready for school.

Androids and Gynoids were only supposed to be by their master's side in the event of...a war. Why did His Majesty sent Franca all of a sudden?

"Zaphkiel...do you remember? The first time we met?"

The pocketwatch on the bedside table was silent, before a voice coming from it answered her.

 **Yes. Why?**

"Back then, did you help me out of pity?"

He kept quiet. Then he posed his own question.

 **Do you regret the left eye I gave you?**

"No...I'm grateful. But I fear...a war might be coming again..."

She slumped herself over the bed. Does this mean that she had to submit to this cursed life of hers again? The words of her mother played in her mind.

 _You just have to follow what I taught you. Kill them before they kill you._

She touched the artificial eye on her left, taking off the contact lense sealing it, revealing a clock stigmata. It resembled her lifespan. The condition she had to live with for having the power of a god.

The hands of the time, ticking away endlessly as if mocking her inability to fulfill her purpose.

* * *

"Hmm? What is that?" William turned his head at the sound of loud banging in the walls of the castle.

"Frank, did you hear something?"

"Uga." The android responded. Just as he was about to proceed towards his destination, the noise echoed once again.

"Seriously, wha-"

"William!" He saw his mother walking towards him as if in a hurry. Her eyes were still covered with a visor, bandages wrapped from her face down to her neck.

"Mother, did you hear that sound?"

"Go back to your room immediately."

"But mo-"

"Are you disobeying me?!" She shrieked. He closed his eyes in surprise, his feet unconsciously moving an inch backward.

"This is no time to be loitering around the halls! Hurry up and go to your room."

"Y-Yes, mother." William said before disappearing towars the corner.

Kikyo bit down the tip of her thumb, a habit she had developed when she was anxious. It was always around this time of the year that her husband, Gareth's magic is slowly being weakened by the nearing of the full moon.

Karlheinz had betrayed them. He did not uphold the end of his deal. He exploited the weakness of their family. But why was Gareth not doing anything about it? Their daughter could be in danger, living in the human world. Yet he still entrusted Lilliane to that vampire.

"Kikyo. What are you doing here?"

The partial source of her anxiety appeared before her. As a queen and a wife, she had morals and a reputation to uphold. But before all of that, her main priority is the role of a mother.

"Gareth...what did you do?"

The Phoenix King did not give his wife a response. The noise kept resonating on the walls, having a 5 second interval in between sounds.

"I had no choice, Kikyo. Everything was for our family. We are a dying race. Come with me."

He led her through the throne room's hallway, portraits of former Kings decorated on the walls. Stopping at a corner, Gareth opened a secret passage leading down to the basement. The dim lighting of the dungeon gave the area a soft glow. In the middle of the empty prison cells, was a huge door. The iron doors vibrated from the impact of something hitting it, the sound becoming louder as they walked closer to it.

A feet away from the door, the sound disappeared.

"...It stopped."

"Kikyo. I will reveal to you what is behind the door." He turned to her with a serious expression on his face.

"But you cannot interfere with my plans any longer."


	17. Maniac 04

The warm water calmed her as she submerged herself even more down the bathtub. Franca had proven to be a great help with fixing the garden, being able to carry some of the heavy baggage. The maid's sudden appearance still bugged her.

There was still no sign of her mother's familiars. Maybe His Highness had convinced her to lay low for a bit.

Lilliane got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her body, using another one to dry her hair. Her uniform had already been prepared by Sayori; she wore it carefully, tying the ribbons around her neck.

"Hmm? Why..." She was pretty sure that her blouse still fitted her. Somehow it felt kind of tight around her chest.

 _Did I gain some weight?_

She brushed it aside and continued to button it up, followed by her blazer. As she went down the foyer area, the others were already making their way to the limousine.

The ride was silent, Ruki reading his book; Kou on his phone. Yuma was munching on some of his sugar cubes and Azusa was talking to his wounds. The jar on the tall vampire's hand caught her attention. That's right. Her _gimauve_ has been missing. She couldn't find it when she came back.

As a bump down the road was met making the vehicle shake, she immediately placed her hand on her chest. It was getting kind of hard to breathe. Lilliane refused to address her problem to anyone. It felt... _humiliating_.

"Hime-san...you've been clutching...your chest...are you okay?" Azusa slowly inquired.

She nodded rather suspiciously, Ruki thought. But it was none of his business, was it?

After arriving at school, they all went to their respective classrooms. She noticed that she shared this class with Reiji and Shu Sakamaki. But she had yet to see the latter. It seems he has a habit of skipping classes. Lilliane would often hear the second son muttering 'that good-for-nothing deadbeat', which she assumed was a reference to his elder brother.

It felt fine the first few minutes. But then halfway through the lessons, she didn't realize that she had made a huge noise of leaning on her desk. The teacher gave her permission to excuse herself; she really needed to find a way on how to deal with this piece of clothing.

"This is _ridiculous_."

To be fair, she had been eating quite a lot this week. It had been a while since she had tasted food from the demon world, and Sayori bought quite a lot with them upon her return.

"Just from that..." She muttered. Then Yuma suddenly popped in her mind. If he knew...he'd surely make fun of her.

"Oi, sow. What are you doing here?"

"Yuma?!" She blurted out. Why did he have to come here all of a sudden? She kept her back facing the tall male, turning her head around to look at him. His uniform was disheveled as always, the school blazer hanging off his shoulders.

"I-I was just...Shit!" Oh fuck, fuck, fuck. She heard it. The ripping of the fabric of her blouse.

"Huh, did you just cuss? Oi, sow what's with y-"

"Don't come near me!" He had his hand stretched in front him, daring to turn her around. He was a bit startled by her outburst.

It was obvious she was covering something in her hand, with how she was slightly bending her body over. Without warning, she ran away.

"Hey, wait!"

Yuma followed, even as she entered an empty room and attempted to close the door. He was too fast, and had already got in when she was about to slam it in his face. Lilliane ignored his presence as her hands tried to pry it close, but the button only popped from its places.

It rolled down the floor. Yuma's eyes followed the small item as it rolled down his feet. He kneeled down to pick it up, narrowing his vision to look at it in the dark. Could it be...

She did expect his reaction.

"Hahaha-sow-y-you-Hahahaha!" His laughter echoed all over the room. A vein popped in her forehead; he normally wasn't this annoying.

"Please shut up..."

"Turn around and let me see."

"No way! Leave me alone."

Lilliane pulled her jacket closer to cover the exposed part of her body. She heard his footsteps come closer, and jumped slightly when she felt his breath on her neck. Her heart was beating too fast for her liking. Her senses were sensitive as well; his body was really cold.

"Hey sow. Do you want to do this the hard way or the easy way?"

"Yuma, no..."

His hands were already grabbing hers and extending it outwards to release her hold on her jacket. The darkness hid the red tint on her cheeks. It was a bit difficult to see in this pitch-black room, but Yuma was a vampire. He'd have no problems adjusting to the lack of brightness.

"It's ripped open sow. Did you get fat or something?"

Lilliane wanted to tell him off. To demand him to release her. But even as a half-breed, his body proportions and height were an advantage against a juvenile phoenix who has the physical strength of a human.

"Not like it matters. You feel great like this."

Yuma's hips pressed against her backside, as he circled his arms around her. She was flabbergasted at the gesture. She can feel his whole body, arching to occupy her own. Vampires weren't supposed to feel warm.

Then why did she feel heated all of a sudden?

"Sow, I'm gonna bite you."

She didn't say anything. Rather, she was too busy being confused to register what he had just said. His fangs burned against her skin, her own small fingers gripping the long upper limbs around her.

"Yuma..."

"What? Want me to stop?"

Lilliane bit her lip. Was she supposed to admit that she wanted the opposite? Her desire to feel him drink her blood was overwhelming. She wanted to taste his too. But the act required...a certain amount of intimacy. And they were anything but that. Still...

" _Bite me harder._ " His eyebrows furrowed, not exactly hearing her mumbled words clearly.

"Your fangs...I want you to..."

"Heh." Yuma gave her boyish grin before pulling her own school jacket from her shoulders and dropping them on the floor.

He spun her around and placed her on top of the desks in the room. The sudden change of position made her blush even further. Yuma's arms trapped her in a cage, her legs wide open to accommodate him.

"Opening your legs for me, huh, _Sow_?"

"T-That's not-!"

Can she really deny it though?

"If you want me to do it, beg for it sow. Come on, show me how vulgar the princess can be."

She moved her head to the side, shying away from his teasing gaze. As if to emphasize it even more, he pushed his hips against her. She whimpered. He chuckled deeply.

"Yuma..."

"Look at me when you say it."

"But that's-"

He forced her head to meet his sharp gaze. Lilliane thought she was going to melt. He was staring at her with what she can only describe as... _passion_.

"Yuma...please drink my blood." She widened the opening of her blouse, exposing her neck, collarbone and chest. "D-don't hold back..." She added shyly.

That did it for him. He bit down, the new wounds opening on its own to deliver the thick rush of blood in his mouth. He felt the girl beneath him clung to his jacket. Yuma pulled away only to drink from her chest again. She tried to lessen the volume of the obscene noises coming from her mouth.

This truly was something her mother wouldn't approve.

It wasn't enough. He needed more from her. Lust was taking over his whole body. He had to feel all of her. How would the taste of her blood change if he took her right here, right now? What noises will she make? What expressions would she show him? Yuma wanted to know all of it.

But not here. If Ruki finds out...

"Wear this Sow."

He tossed her his blazer. She looked at it for a second before wearing it. It was huge on her, almost covering her whole body. She picked up her own school blazer the same time Yuma opened the door. She hurried after him, walking just a few inches behind.

"Sow."

Lilliane lifted her head to look at him. He had his hand extended to her, a feeling of deja vu reminding her of the same action during the Carnival.

She placed her hand on his, fingers immediately clutching hers. It was really weird. Because vampires were basically living corpses.

But Yuma's grip on her hand sent a warm feeling through her body.


	18. Maniac 05

She kept her fingers pressed against his broad shoulders. Silent mewls came from her throat, the vampire above giving her a breathy chuckle at her reactions. It's not like he forced her to sleep with him but...

"I'm going to show you the most painful way to have your blood sucked, Sow."

His fangs pierced her neck as he caressed her legs, skirt pushed up her hips and mouth wide open because of him. They were in the confines of his bed, with him between her legs as he basked in the flustered expressions she was making.

Her face had flushed yet again at the memories of the night before. His grin when she moaned out his name in pleasure. The way he held her contradicted his words. In the end, his gentleness overwhelmed her. It was so different from his usual delinquent attitude; kind of similar with how he cares for his garden.

She left the room, but not before taking notice of how her scent was all over his bed. His half-naked body was sprawled on his sheets, snoring loudly as he slept. All of a sudden her own room felt unfamiliar. Since when had she started to feel comfortable beside him, relaxing when she felt his arms around her?

Her mother wouldn't approve of this.

Her sister would scowl at this.

But she was not in their presence right now, was she? Deep inside she knew. She was starting to care for him. But how did he feel about her?

The same question had evaded Yuma's mind more than once. The tulips. Her scent. The taste of her blood. Was she really just a prey to him? Because even though she had left his room hours before, her presence was still there. The faces she showed him had excited his whole body.

Yuma wanted it all to himself.

 _Don't show that face...to anyone else, sow._ He whispered to her earlier.

 **You're sinking.**

The voice of Zaphkiel startled her from her thoughts. She was trained not to have any desires. Yet here she was daydreaming about the vampire living in the same mansion as hers.

"I'm not." She firmly stated.

 **I hope you remember. Our contr-**

"I know." She interrupted. "I have no time for this. This feeling...is a hindrance."

Lilliane tried to convince herself just that. Still, she found herself hiding her pocketwatch inside the drawer of her bedside table. She stripped off her nightgown. Brushing her bangs aside, she stared at her left eye in the mirror. The hands of the clock were slowing down, as if counting the remaining time she had.

It's been a while since she hunted. Humans simply won't do it for her. She needed to go back to the demon world.

Sayori was standing by the door that led to the Demon Realm when Lilliane went down the basement. It's as if she knew her plans. She made no move to stop her master as she walked by her. The silent gesture of the servant bowing her head was enough message.

 _Please be careful, Hime-sama._

* * *

 _"Y-you monster!"_

 _Her eyes automatically closed, in anticipation for the pain he was about to inflict upon her. However, a firm voice stopped the young boy's actions._

 _"Ivan. What are you doing?"_

 _"M-Mother..."_

 _Her dark obsidian eyes moved over to where Lilliane was slouched over. Bruises littered her small arms, shivering and shielding herself from her brother's abuse. Kikyo snapped._

 _"M-Mother! Ah! Please stop it. That hurts!" Her slender fingers gripped his wrist before landing a nerve-wrecking slap on both of his cheeks. The impact sent Ivan on the ground, but Kikyo did not stop there._

 _"I told you to be nice to your sister! Why do you keep on disobeying me, Ivan?" Her mad yelling was accompanied by her wooden cane, hitting her own child on his legs._

 _"Mother! Please stop it!" Lilliane shouted, standing in front of her brother to shield him from their mother's way of discipline._

 _Kikyo gritted her teeth as the stick was up in the air, ready to deliver another hit, if it weren't for Lilliane standing in between her and Ivan. She lowered the cane, turning around, her thumb between her teeth yet again, feeling anxious at the thought of hurting her daughter._

 _When their mother left the scene, Lilliane immediately tended to her brother._

 _"Ivan, are you okay? Does it hu-"_

 _"Stay away from me!" He exclaimed, pushing her._

 _"Don't ever touch me again you monster!"_

 _She flinched at his words. Ivan left the scene, blood dripping down his arm. A lone teethmark on his flesh showed a deep wound. He ran away, Lilliane's guilty eyes following his scurrying form._

 _Since when did blood become so appealing to her?_

* * *

"Pity. You could've had a painless death."

Lilliane stood amidst a table surrounded by dead bodies, their heads slumped on the wooden surface. The looked like they had been drained of their life forces, cheekbones evident so well that one could mistake them for skeletons.

She did not know who this person was; just a random pureblood demon that she followed all the way to his home. It could've been over in an instant. If only they weren't so...

'I am a pureblood! I will never submit to a filthy ghoul like you!'

He even mistook her for a ghoul. This is why she hated these...imitations. Thinking that they live above everyone else just because they were born with lavish materials.

"Filthy demons."

She wiped the blade of her sword and placed it back inside its sheat. Their blood tasted good, but their souls were filthy.

"At least they were good for one thing."

But it seems that Lilliane did not think this through. She had invaded the territory of the Vivora clan, and if there's one thing she knows about them from past experiences, they were very prideful.

She made her way towards the balcony and jumped down the forest. Her cloak covered her face; still it would not mean well if a person from another clan was found hunting in the habitat of another.

"You! What business do you have here?"

She cursed. Maybe she was getting a bit rusty. It's been a while since she's been caught while escaping. Her eyes glowed red in the dark. Their smell was very appetizing.

Hmmp. Familiars. They will have to do.

Their screams echoed in the night. They fought vallantly. One even managed to scrape her stomach with their blade. She threw her sword aside, and picked up her gun from its holster. The bullets were specially created to kill demons; but not enough to kill phoenixes.

She tore the piece of cloth from her cloak and tied it around her. The wound was deeper than she thought.

"I need to get out of here."

She struggled, but managed to make her way at the portal. Passing through it would lead her to the garden instead of the basement.

She didn't really have much of a choice now, did she?

However, an unfamiliar garden greeted her instead. White roses bloomed the area, and she had to berate herself for being unlucky at a time like this. She really hated that flower with a _passion_.

Lilliane pressed her arm against her stomach to lessen the bleeding. It was healing pretty slow, and she had no idea where she was. Surely she was in the human world now, right?

As she leaned towards the wall, she felt the presence of another person behind the concrete. A human? The sound of the footsteps filled her ears. It wasn't until a meek voice called out to her that she realized where she was.

"Hime-san? You're bleeding! Are you alright?"

"Yui...?"

So she was in the Sakamaki estate?

Liliane felt her body drop to the cold ground before she can mutter another word. Panicking at the sight of wounded body in front of her, Yui did her best to carry her inside the mansion with the help of some familiars.

"Hime-san. Please be well..."


	19. Maniac 06

_The young girl stood beside her mother as she watched the other kids play. She wanted to join them. But her mother said that she couldn't. Instead, she followed the older woman until they left the estate._

 _"Lilliane. Karlheinz-sama and his sons will be arriving. Be sure to properly greet them with your siblings."_

 _"Yes, mother."_

 _A banquet was held in the castle of the Phoenix clan. It was a small gathering, with only a couple of invited aristocrats and nobles from the underworld._

 _She stood clad in clothes that she was forced to wear, but instead of heels, the skirt of her gown covered her combat boots fitted to her small feet. Even from where she was standing she can hear the boisterous noise of one of the vampire King's sons._

 _Figures. The demon lord's daughter, Cordelia was his mother. She had heard about that woman from her tutors. She was the first wife of Karlheinz, the vampire king. Beatrix was the second one, but gave birth to the eldest son. The third was Christa. Not much was known about her except for the fact that she has some...issues._

 _She wasn't present, but the children were all here. None of the wives were._

 _"H-hey."_

 _"Mm?"_

 _She turned her head, dim gray eyes met with light crimson ones. His white hair covered half of his face, almost mirroring her own if it wasn't for the contrast of black and white._

 _He kept turning to look at someone, she noticed. Following his line of vision; Karlheinz was staring at them. As if urging his son to do something._

 _"Let's dance!" The young boy blurted out, but not too loud for everyone to hear. His cheeks were quite flustered a bit, while her eyes blinked at his small outburst. They were then joined by two more people; his brothers, she guessed._

 _"Oh, look Laito! Subaru's blushing in front of a girl! How lame!"_

 _"Hmm, even Subaru can have that kind of face, huh? You really are a tsundere!"_

 _The younger boy's cheeks reddened even more before turning to his brothers with rage. It's not like he wanted to come here anyway. That old man just forced him to do this._

 _"S-shut it! I'm not blushing!"_

 _Lilliane watched in amusement at the three's banter. How cute. She did once bicker with her siblings like this before._

 _"You know Subaru, it's not good to keep a lady waiting for a dance."_

 _"That's right! If you want, this Ayato-sama will give you the privelege of-hey!"_

 _So the obnoxious voice came from him. Lilliane turned to Subaru, ignoring Ayato-who protested quite eagerly-and placed her hand in his as she led him on the dancefloor._

 _"Subaru-kun."_

 _"W-what?" He muttered, averting from her gaze._

 _"I'm not a very good dancer. So please guide me, okay?"_

 _"M-Mm."_

She was gone. Again. Did it even matter to anyone? This wasn't the first time she disappeared. But the last was unexpected. Did they think she left of her own accord then?

The lights blinded her for a second before sitting up from the bed. Her eyes scanned the surroundings. He touched the bandage on her stomach before removing it slowly. It had healed overnight, no trace of the wound from before appeared.

"Hime-san, are you awake?" She did not notice that Yui had entered the room, followed by Reiji. He had a strict look on his face as usual.

"Yes. I'm sorry for the intrusion. I ran into some...difficulties."

"You were hunting. And beyond your jurisdiction as well."

What a nice way to say it.

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Hmmp. You are currently an unexpected guest. Your mere presence is a nuisance right now."

"R-Reiji-san! To say that..."

Perhaps she should be offended. Or not. She let out a laugh at his feeble insults. Such things do not bother her. Ivan had said enough unpleasant words to make her immune to being berated.

Still, this man ought to know his place.

"I'm sure your father would find it very pleasant to know what his son thinks. Please leave. I want to rest for a bit."

Reiji left with a scowl on his face. Even he knows not to go against someone with high authority than him. More so if it would displease his father. Yui followed after him, closing the door slowly.

Lilliane laid down the bed, covering her eyes with her arm.

She had a weird dream again. Rather, it was a memory. She knew she had seen them somewhere. Back when she lived at the castle. His highness was a very eccentric man. Being friends with a vampire.

Her mother on the other hand...

"She had a loose screw, that's for sure."

Standing up, she made her way towards the balcony. Somehow this bed doesn't feel very comfortable. It was completely different from her room in the Mukami mansion.

This one felt...cold.

* * *

"Mother, I have returned."

"Lia nee-sama! Welcome back!" William greeted Virgilia enthusiastically.

"I heard from the head butler that Hime-chan returned home."

He stop grinning when he saw his sister's menacing glare.

"Why did you not send a familiar to tell me, William?"

"I-I didn't think it was necessary. And look! She stabbed mother and me! Nee-sama she should be ba-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Virgilia had raised her hand against him. She hated it when their other siblings antagonized Lilliane. He was not an exception.

"I-I'm sorry...Lia nee-sama.."

"Get out of my sight. You make me sick."

Virgilia left him in a haste to see Kikyo. She was probably cooped up in her room again; His Highness must have forbid her to go after Lilliane. She smiled to herself. Of course, she would come back. No matter what, she is a phoenix. She cannot escape her heritage.

"Mother?" She called out while opening the door to her mother's quarters.

"Lia...she was here...my Lilliane..."

"I know mother."

"Do you remember? What I told you and Emile when you were younger..."

She kneeled beside the woman and held her hand. She must have been crying again. The tears of a mother who lost her child...again.

"After that incident. I swore that I would never let her out of my sight. But Gareth, he...to that Karlheinz..."

Her hands closed to a fist, nails digging on her palms almost to the point of drawing blood. Virgilia simply watched as her mother suffered internally in her own pain. She herself had her own reasons as to why she wanted to bring Lilliane back home, but she didn't think that her Father would beat her to it.

If he had indeed entrusted her to Karlheinz...

It couldn't be. She wouldn't want that. Father probably did not inform Lilliane of his own plan. Simply to strengthen his own army, he is ready to sacrifice everything even his children.

"Don't worry mother...I will bring her home. No matter what it takes."

* * *

"It's rare for you to come here."

"Socrates."

"Zaphkiel." The philosopher nodded in acknowledgement. "What business do you have here?"

He did not answer, instead choosing to gaze at the different dimensional lines surrounding them. The tree of Adam is still in it's glorious self, symbolizing the Eden itself.

"Karlheinz lied."

"He has many secrets. You and I both know that."

The god simply nodded, sending a suspicious stare at the bright, colorful tree of Eden before materializing into smoke.


	20. Maniac 07

The first time Lilliane went to the music room, no one was there. One doesn't forget a skill engraved thoroughly in their body as a child. Her fingers pressed over the keys of the piano, creating a beautiful melody.

Kira used to play duets with her as a child, her with the violin and him using the piano. Of course the male was a natural born genius when it comes to playing instruments. She was good, but he was better.

So when she entered the familiar room yet again, she was surprised by the presence of someone strange but familiar. Her eyes moved around the room to scan the area but no one seemed to be there.

It wasn't until she closed the door and tripped on something that she realized the person was laying down the ground.

Shu opened his eyes and stared at the female before groaning and sitting up. Lilliane herself fixed her skirt before kneeling while facing him.

"Why are you on the floor?"

"I was sleeping." A yawn followed after.

"That's dangerous."

"Don't care."

"Why not sleep on the couch?"

"Too troublesome."

Somehow he reminded her of someone who was usually very sluggish as well, with no motivation to do anything or whatsoever. As if remembering the reason why she went to the room, Lilliane stood up, dusting her skirt in the process.

"Then you don't mind me being here, right?"

"As long as you don't bother me."

Picking up the violin, snippets of her childhood flashed in her brain. Her mother had allowed her to indulge into a hobby of some sort as a reward for excelling in her studies, so she chose the violin.

She mastered the instrument in a few weeks time; other instances where her composing the her own music during her free time.

Lilliane picked up the bow, tuning a few strings here and there before playing a calming melody. Her eyes closed as she drowned in the feeling of the sounds the instrument was creating.

She didn't notice Shu stand up and take a seat on the piano, until the sound of the keys started to accompany her playing. He still had that stoic face; it made her wonder what type of music he always listens to.

"I heard this one being played in the demon world before."

After the song ended, she returned the violin back to its case and nudged him to move on the bench so she can sit as well.

"Gavi's song. A friend of mine composed it." Her own fingers played the same keys he did before with accuracy.

"I saw you speaking with him during the ball in Eden."

Oh. That guy. Kira. The son of the Death God. It seems he was sent as his father's representative due to the fact that he cannot attend the celebration. He sent his regards in advance.

"Gods live in the upper world or heaven as humans like to call it. What is his son doing in the demon world?"

"He's in that rebellious stage. Just leave him be."

"He'll inherit his father's will soon enough." Her fingers stopped playing, opening one eye as she stared at him from her peripheral view.

"Like you?" He chuckled.

"I have no intentions of following after that old man. It's too bothersome."

"I see."

The school bell rang outside, signalling the start of classes. However, the two didn't make any move to go to their own classrooms. She redirected her fingers, playing a new melody instead. This time, the tune was a bit classical.

"Hmm. Rachmaninoff, huh?"

"His music is pleasant to listen to."

Shu closed his eyes as he immersed himself in her playing. When he opened them, his gaze when to the nape of her neck. Her hair was up in a pony tail, the strands covering some of her features. But her skin was exposed.

The scent was intoxicating as well. Just like that girl. He smiled as leaned down to lick the exposed flesh. Women are indeed scary.

Lilliane jumped at the sudden pressure on her side. His face was too close for her liking, and did he...did he just lick her?

"Why did you...?" His lips covered hers in an instant, her eyes wide open at the sudden action.

He moved away for a bit, before cupping the back of her head and kissing her again. Her hands placed on his chest in an attempt to push him away, but instead wind up gripping the fabric of his sweater.

Shu loosened the ribbon of her uniform, pushing the blouse to reveal her collarbone. He touched the smooth skin before biting down the soft muscle.

Her hand went up to cover her mouth. Shu took slow gulps of her blood, different than how she was bitten before. And he was a pureblood too. It's been a while since she drank such tasty blood...

"Your blood felt warmer. Are you thinking of something lewd?"

Instead of answering, her hand gripped the collar of his uniform. He almost didn't see it coming. The red glow of her eyes. She was thirsty for blood.

"...Do it."

That was the only thing she needed before burying her own fangs down his chest. It was too delicious. She could drink him dry if she didn't control herself.

Shu lifted her hand to his mouth, his lips running over her fingers before biting down the thin limbs. She moved upwards, biting down on the side of his neck. The feeling of being fed on heightened his own senses.

Lilliane's fangs were hot against his flesh. Did she feel the same too?

"I'm sorry." She lifted her head up, wiping the excess blood on her lips with the back of her hand. Shu's chest vibrated as he chuckled deeply in her ear.

"No need to apologize. Your blood wasn't that bad either."

"Still...I..."

"So the rumors were true, huh?" Her eyes widened at his statement.

"Unlike us, to you we are the prey."

She stood up, fixing the ribbon of her uniform before leaving the room. She herself did not understand it well enough; humans were nothing to her, she cannot feed on them. Instead, she drinks the blood of her own kind, the blood of demons even.

Her arms wrap around herself as she leaned by the window on the wall. The moon was shining very brightly.

"Sow."

"Yuma..."

He gritted his teeth. Fucking bastard. That Sakamaki neet's scent was all over her. He held out his hand and pulled down her uniform forcefully, the sight of Shu's fangs on her skin angering him even more.

"You...Just what were you doing with that guy, huh?!" His grip on her tightened. It was guaranteed to leave a bruise.

But they were at school so he would stop, right?

His eyes held a sense of ardency she can't comprehend. Yuma's emotions were all over the place. His breathing was getting ragged, like a beast warning his prey.

"Shit!" He bit down on her wound, right where Shu's fangs were buried earlier.

"Ah! Yuma-stop!"

"Shut up."

He continued to drink her blood. It was different from the usual way he'd bite her. This was raw pain, like he was trying to tear the flesh of her neck.

By the time he finished, she had already lost consciousness making Yuma curse even more. She was already so fucking infuriating; ever since she came back, he started feeling these weird motions in his stomach.

Because once she decided to leave again, what the hell was he supposed to do?


	21. Maniac 08

Yuma stared at Lilliane's sleeping form. She was still wearing her uniform, and he had half a mind to tear it to pieces. Simply because that Neet's smell was all over her.

She turned over and opened her eyes, blinking in her surroundings. She was in his room yet again. A place she reckons she spends more time in than her own bed chamber. She lifted herself to a sitting position and nudged couple strands of her hair behind her ear.

"You're awake."

Yuma was sitting at the sofa in his room, holding a jar in his hands. Without warning, he threw the object in her direction which she thankfully caught with no problems.

"Hey." He was suddenly in front of her, face inches from her own as he stared at her with intensity.

"What were you doing with that neet?"

"We were just playing the piano. There's no need to b-"

"Then why is his scent all over you, huh?!"

"Yuma, wh-"

"Shut up!"

The jar was thrown out of her grasp rolling at the end of the bed. He had buried his fangs down her neck again, her blood emitting a different kind of taste from before that made his blood boil.

All because of Shu Sakamaki.

"Don't ever get close to that guy again. You hear me, sow?" He whispered, then continued to feed on her.

"I'll erase his every mark on your body. You should only feel my fangs on your skin. This," He bit on her collarbone. "this," Down her chest. "and this. Every single part of you should just submit to me."

Ah, he was going to drain her. His eyes held the ferocious stare of a predator. He was going to bite her again. He's going to-

At least, that's what she thought. Her eyes widened in surprise.

 _I wish you wouldn't kiss me like this...as if...as if we were lovers..._

He himself was intoxicating. His whole body was drowning hers in a very strange and peculiar feeling. She didn't want to let go. Her arms wrapped around his back, eyes closing as she started to kiss him back.

"Heh," Yuma smirked against her lips. "Prepare yourself, sow. I'm taking it. Your blood. Your body. Everything."

She shouldn't. They wouldn't approve. Her mother would get angry. Her sister would punish her. Being acquainted with a vampire. She can see it. Their scowls, disappointed glares. Their sharp words thrown against her in a verbal attack. She'd die. Oh god, they would disown her-she could die and yet-

Those thoughts seemed to disappear when his mouth dominated hers once again. She fell onto the mattress, Yuma following suit, as he braced his forearm beside her head to keep his huge body from crushing her.

"Yuma..."

"I don't wanna hear it, sow."

Instead of saying anything, she lifted her head to kiss him. If this was how she can convey her feelings then...

His touches were softer than she imagined. He was trying to control his own strength.

"Yuma...I want you to...my blood..please."

He complied; canine teeth piercing the flesh followed by a river of blood flowing inside his mouth. He moaned, hugging her body closer to his.

The following words that tumbled out of her mouth was a blur. His name became a part of the symphony coming from her lips as they indulged themselves in an intimate sensation with their bodies.

Yuma wouldn't let go. Not even if she wanted him too. Lilliane was his. And she had also claimed a part of him as well.

* * *

"Princess Virgilia is requesting to see you, my Lord."

"Let her in."

The doors opened, revealing Virgilia Von Phönix. The heels of her shoes echoed as she made her way in front of her father. She kneeled, as a traditional greeting before standing up to look at him straight in the eye.

Virgilia was the splitting image of her mother, despite the light blonde color of her hair which she inherited from her father. She also grew up with Kikyo's manipulative brain, making her a very dangerous opponent.

"Father. You're planning to have Hime marry one of Karlheinz's sons, aren't you?"

"Always straight to the point. As expected of my daughter."

"My question was not answered...Father." She said with a hard face.

"Virgilia. The child who returned to us...was not your sister anymore."

"There hasn't been a sign since what? Centuries ago? Father, Hime should be with us! Her family! I will not let you turn her over to some measly vampire clan!"

The halls vibrated as Gareth stomped the bottom of his staff on the floor. Virgilia silenced immediately. Father only did that when he got offended or when he was trying to teach them a lesson.

"You question me, my dear child?"

Sh kept quiet for a few minutes, before she turned around and walked towards the exit. She placed her hand on the door, and said her final words to her King.

"I have always obeyed you, Father. However, I will not lose another sister because of your schemes. Not this time."

If Lilliane was in the human world, then she has to go there as well. She promised mother that she would bring her home. Where she will be safe. Those filthy demons do not deserve her. No. Virgilia will slay down any person who goes against her.

She will take her sister. No matter the consequences.

* * *

The sound of thunder woke up Lilliane's senses. She sat up on the bed, the flash of the lightning glowing up the dark room. Her arms gathered the duvet to cover around her naked form, leaving the confines of the bed to open the balcony doors.

It wasn't even raining. However, she knew what followed after the lightning. As if on cue, the huge ethereal form of a phoenix showed above the sky.

"It couldn't be..."

An adult phoenix would only show his/her thorough form in the essence of a war...or if a duel had taken place.

In this case, a formal duel between one of her siblings must have been given the approval of her father. But who? Or maybe...No. Impossible. That phoenix form was that of her grandfather's.

"Did someone challenge father?"

She turned around and closed the door. She slowly limped back to the bed, the activities from before now taking its effect on her body. Her cheeks blushed when Yuma's exposed torso came to her view. He was really fit wasn't he? Those arms had held her the whole night as they rutted against each other like ani-

 _What am I thinking?_

As soon as she slumped down the bed, she was once again trapped in his embrace.

So he wasn't asleep.

Had she woken him up? She can feel his breath on her neck, but it was different from when he was sleeping. His hold tightened around her, almost as if he was scared she was going to leave.

"Yuma, you're squishing me..."

Instead of replying, he bit on her earlobe, making her squirm even more. His chuckle at her reaction tickled her ear; his hair was all over the side of her neck as well.

"Yuma..."

"Never leave again...Hime."


	22. Maniac 09

"Hime-san? Hime-san? Are you okay?" Yui's meek voice snapped her out of her daydream. The two of them were on the rooftop, having their breaktime together.

Lilliane had managed to pull the young girl away from Ayato before he even got to drink her blood in the premise of the school. She did have the body of a human, but it was no secret that she held a far more higher sense of authority than a vampire. So he had no choice but to back off and turn the other way.

"Hime-san, you've been really quiet. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mm. I'm just tired...I guess."

"Your sweet smell has went quite a drastic change, senpai."

They both turned their heads at the direction of the voice. Laito had that usual smirk on his face, a hand on top of his fedora. She ignored his comment and continued to read her book. He'd probably go away sooner or later. Well, that's what she thought.

"The smell of a vampire is all over you, senpai."

Her breathing hitched. Laito seemed to have noticed the change in her pattern as he walked even closer to them.

"Laito-kun, what do you mean?"

"Hmm, Bitch-chan. You really are clueless about this aren't you? It means that senpai had se-"

"One more word and I will end your life Sakamaki Laito."

In a fit of rage, she could kill him at any moment. Being covered in the scent of another race meant that she had become a property. A livestock. She gritted her teeth, and clenched her fists. Her eye was burning, urging her to take the life of the male in front of her.

"That's none of your business, Laito."

Lilliane stood up leaving the two alone. She was still bothered by what she saw the other night. None of the familiars from their castle had even sent her news about the possible duel that had taken place.

Who could've possibly challenged father?

It didn't help that Yuma had started to ignore her after what happened between the two of them. She knew he was avoiding her.

Lilliane's fears had come true. She had started to care for someone yet again. Now she's afraid of destroying him...involving him with her past. Yuma was a gentle boy, behind that brute physical strength. He held her like a porcelain doll, as if he was scared of breaking her.

"Yuma..."

"Hime-chan, what are you doing here?"

"Kou...I was just..."

His artificial eye glowed in suspicion at her melancholic tone. Giving the girl a smile, he grabbed her hand, her head turning upwards in confusion at his sudden action.

"Let's skip class, Hime-chan!"

"Eh? B-but-"

"It's fine, isn't it? Come on."

She gave in and let Kou pull her away. First he brought her to a clothing store. The idol seemed to be really fond of dressing her up. Kind of like a friend of hers. Then they went to a café where some of his fans recognized them. All in all, Kou help her forget about everything for a while.

"What's been on your mind, Hime-chan?"

"What do you mean?"

She tried to avert her gaze away so he wouldn't ask again. But even she can never escape his watchful glaze.

"It's about Yuma-kun, huh?"

Lilliane kept quiet. Yuma told her not to leave him. Then why was he avoiding her? Was it something she did? Is he still mad about what happened with Shu? Her feelings were all over the place.

"Yuma-kun is not very good at expressing his feelings." Kou broke the silence. He had a small smile on his face, as if remembering something from the past.

"So you have to knock it straight to his head if you really want him to understand you."

"I'm not-I-I mean..."

"Come on. It's almost time for classes to end. Let's go back before Ruki-kun finds us!"

* * *

 _We must know our place, Yuma._

Ruki's words bothered him to no end. They weren't fit to be candidates for the Apple of Adam plan. He accepted that. But who was he to tell him what he should and should not do? It's not like she pushed him away when they had -

Maybe he needed a distraction.

From what? Her? She was distracting enough as it is. She had occupied his head to no end, filled with fluttering...things in his stomach. The thought of being away from her sounded absurd. Somewhere between the nights they spent together...had he seen her as more than just a woman?

"Y-Yuma-san! Can I please talk to you for a second?"

"Ah?" He snarled at her. She looked younger than him, probably one of those first years.

"Tch. Not here. Come on."

The female followed him until they reached the back of the school. No one was around, probably in the cafeteria or in their own classrooms.

"Hurry up, I don't have all night."

Flustered the girl started to speak, her words stuttering due to nervousness.

"Y-Yuma-san...Uhm-I-I like you! Please go out with me!"

Yuma stared at her. Oddly enough, at this angle she looked like her. If ever she confessed...No. Even the thought of her liking someone else, annoyed him.

As if on reflex, he pushed the human girl by the wall, trapping her in his arms. She blushed, tried to talk her way out their current position. He didn't feel anything. He nudged her chin up with his fingers and kissed her.

Still nothing.

It wasn't the same everytime she would kiss Lilliane. Her small movements made him excited. But this...this was too dull.

"Y-Yuma-san...w-what if someone sees u-"

"Shut it."

No use being gentle, he's just going to get it over with-

"Yuma?"

There was it. Even the sound of her voice haunted him. Along with her scent...her footsteps echoing...

"Hime-chan..." And so was Kou's voice.

The girl in front of him was terrified, but she wasn't looking at him. Her head was tilted to the side, eyes meeting red ones filled with anger from a certain raven-haired girl.

He followed her line of sight. Their eyes met, and it was then that he noticed her physical presence in front of him. Lilliane's mouth was parted, her fists clenched; slowly she turned away and ran from him.

Realizing what she had just witnessed, Yuma let go of the random girl and dazed off in the spot she was previously standing on. She saw him kissing another girl.

"Yuma-kun, what are you stan-"

He didn't let Kou finish. He did not have the time to panic and curse himself for what he did. He just needed to find her so he can convey the things he wanted to say to her.

She may have run off earlier than him, but her scent seemed to be engraved in his nose as he followed her easily.

Her eyes wouldn't stop glowing red. It wasn't normally like this. It felt different from anger or bloodlust. Was she...jealous? Perhaps. But with a mix of hatred. She wanted to tear the girl apart into pieces. How dare she touch him. A filthy human like her-

Of all the times, she had to be clumsy. Firm hands gripped her shoulders to prevent her from falling. She recognized Shu's beige sweater, finding it odd that he was standing up and not laying down.

"I've been looking for you." He said in his usual drawn out voice.

"Why?" She asked, internally cringing at her meek tone.

"We need to talk ab-"

Shu paused, seeing Yuma suddenly in front of them. Lilliane was still facing him, but he knew she felt his presence. He had a scowl on his face, annoyed at the fact that of all the people she had to meet, it was him.

"Tch, neet. What are you doing here?"

Shu stared down at the girl in front of him. He noticed the crimson color of her eyes, immediately suspecting that something bad happened.

"It's none of your business."

"Ha? Then why are you with her?"

Instead of answering, he lifted her finger up to his mouth and bit down the back of her hand. Her eyes widened at the pain his fangs where inflicting on her.

"You bastard!" Yuma pulled her away from him, glaring at the blond haired vampire in the process.

"You really are stupid." Shu left the two of them, walking away and turning around the corner.

Lilliane broke away from Yuma's arms, as she felt her eyes slowly turning back from red to black. So Shu noticed. He bit her to make her blood forget about the negative feelings she felt. But with him around her, she knows it's only a matter of time before she gets angry again.


	23. Maniac 10

[ warning: explicit scenes ahead. read at your own risk ]

"Sow..." Yuma reached out a hand to her.

"Don't touch me!"

Lilliane finally faced him, and brought the palm of her hand against his face. He flinched at the stinging pain.

"You-You-and-t-that girl-"

"That's not what it i-"

"Stop lying to me! I can't take you lying to me!"

Looking at him made her emotions fuzzy. It made her feel dizzy. All these things mixing around her brain that she can't think straight. She wanted to know what's on his mind. How did he feel about her? Everytime he sees her...

"Then what the hell do you want me to do?!" He shouted.

She tried to come up with an answer for him. Nothing came to mind. What did she want from him? They both have no obligation to each other. So then why did she feel pain when he saw Yuma with another girl?

"I-I...don't-"

"What difference does it make if I kiss another girl?"

"Everything!" She snapped at him. "How can you be so dense? I-I thought you...to me...did that...that night mean nothing to you?"

Lilliane covered her mouth, eyes shut closed at the words she had previously said. Even Yuma looked surprised, frozen in his feet as he stared at her. Had she destroyed everything?

"Hime."

She slowly opened her eyes, as her name came from his lips. The next thing that happened caught her off-guard. He kissed her firmly on the lips, trapping her body against the window. Her eyes closed again, wet tears falling as she did so. She held tightly on his arm, because her knees suddenly felt weak. She had to prevent herself from breaking down.

"Hime..."

He slid his tongue inside hers, and continued to fiercely devour her. His hands lifted her hips, wrapping her legs around his waist as he kept her pressed against the glass. She broke the kiss apart, her cheeks flushed as she stared straight at him.

Ah. She was drowning in his essence.

"Yuma, take me here."

No words needed to be said.

He unbuckled his pants and pushed her skirt up her hips. He leveraged his arm against the glass as he sheathed himself inside her. Their mouths met again, swallowing each others grunts and whimpers.

She had never felt so...alive. Her limbs latching onto him possessively as he pumped his length deep inside her. The danger of being caught just made it more exciting. Such lewd desires would've never even entered her mind had she not met Yuma.

"Sow, you're-ngh-squeezing me."

Her right hand tangled on his hair, the other around his neck as she placed her forehead against his, mouth panting from their actions.

"Yumaaa...I-I l-love you..."

She thought he would stop when she blurted out those three words. But the opposite happened. His pace went faster at her declaration of love for him. His grunts increased in volume as he whispered his own sweet nothings in her ear.

"Yuma...I love you...Nngh-Y-uma-aa..."

"Hime, me too...I want you...only you..."

Her sudden orgasm surprised the two of them. His hips never ceased its rhythm, which only heightened the pleasure even more for her.

"Heh, greedy sow. Already cumming just from this."

"T-that's because...Yuma is-a-aah-s-so...Ngh! aaah-bi-g...!"

Yuma held her closer to him. In that moment, there were only the two of them in their own world. Her whimpers brought him closer to his release, burying himself deeper until he filled her insides with his juices.

Lilliane hid her face in his neck, refusing to let him see her flustered expression. Her arms tightened around him even more, not wanting to separate herself from him.

"Sow, were you jealous?"

"...so what if I was?"

Yuma let out a boyish chuckle, which turned into a laugh. It wasn't the same mocking tone, but rather...it was a happy one. He slightly pulled himself away to look at her face.

"Hime, marry me."

She stared at him for a long time, the words he said processing in her brain. Marry him? Marriage...what was it again? Right...the one where you vow in front of the altar and...have kids...right?

Her face reddened as it sinked in.

"M-M-Marry y-you-w-wha-"

"What? You don't wanna?"

"I-I do! I-It's just-we're..."

"Then it's fine isn't it?"

Lilliane hated the fact that he was too casual about this. As if he wasn't still inside her. It made her feel embarrassed even more. And she had learned that it was something Yuma liked to do to her.

The intruding emotion inside her had disappeared. The waves from storm had calmed down, and all she could see was Yuma. Being this intimate with someone; she didn't think that it was possible for her to ever feel this way.

"What're you thinking about?"

"You." She replied, as if it had been on the tip of her tongue all along. However, she did not expect his reaction.

Small signs of redness lined up in his face, scowling as if trying to stop the blush from spreading. Finally, it had made him put her down the floor; both fixing their clothes as if they hadn't just done the deed before.

"Ruki's going to kill me." He meant to say it to himself, but his statement did not fail to reach Lilliane's ears.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what he said." The said vampire was standing in front of them, his eyes showing disappointment from his brother's actions.

"Yuma. I told you. We sh-"

"I know what you said. But I'm not going to stay away from her anymore because of that!"

Is that the reason why he was ignoring her? What did Ruki tell him? Why would he do that? All these questions flooded her mind as her eyes bounced back and forth the two brothers.

"You knew from the beginning. The two of you cannot be together."

"What are you talking about, Ruki?" She asked. She did not like being this clueless.

Ruki stared at her for a moment, before looking at his brother with a disapproving glare.

"She doesn't know?"

"What do you me-"

"You better not say another word, or I swear to god, Ruki-"

"Hmmp. So you're just taking advantage of her naivety?"

"I'm not the one who's trying to take control of her li-"

"Tell me what's going on!" She demanded.

Their actions infuriated her. Acting like she wasn't here, when the subject clearly involved her. She turned to Ruki, silently asking an answer from him.

"Karlheinz-sama and Gareth-sama, your father, has bethroted you with the eldest of the Sakamaki family."

"W-What? No. He wouldn't. You're lying!"

"I'm not lying. Yuma knew it as well." Her eyes widened at the revelation. Like a punch through her gut. They knew...he knew...

And she was the only one in the dark.

She had fallen for her father's schemes. She had been used yet again. Only this time, she was a bargain to be sold to the vampires. a peace treaty. Was this her fate?

"I-I-I need to be alone."

She ran away. Her feet kept on moving until she was out of the school. She didn't know where her legs would take her, but anywhere is better than here.

The park looked so serene under the moonlight. When was the last time she admired such a beautiful sight? She sat down under a huge tree, hugging her knees up to her chest.

 _ **Your heartbeat is faster than normal.**_

"...Did you know?"

 _ **I was just as surprised as you are.**_

The pocketwatch around her neck glowed, as if mirroring her disarrayed emotions. She moved her hair to the side and touched her left eye. It hasn't been showing any signs of pain or abnormalities lately. Zaphkiel did say before that it was connected to the nerves in her brain. If something was amiss, she'd know it immediately.

"Zaphkiel...Yuma asked me to marry him."

 _ **...What did you say?**_

"I-I...I want to be with him. But I'm scared..."

 _ **Of what?**_

"I'm scared that I'll destroy him. The way I destroyed her."


	24. Maniac Epilogue

**A/N: To the Guest who reviewed on May 21, chapter 23. Thank you so much! I appreciate it! :D**

 **And mpteris: who reviewed on May 28, chapter 23. Thank you so much as well. Seriously I'm on cloud nine right now. I never thought someone wold compliment my writing like that. I hope you and the other ones who read this enjoy the next chapters. It's close to the end by the way. Haha. :D**

* * *

 _Even when she was about to die,_

 _A smile was perched on her face._  
 _Full of happiness,_  
 _That's when I realized,_  
 _I couldn't pull the trigger._

 _She was a young demon,_  
 _Left to die in her hammock,_  
 _Discarded like garbage,_  
 _Like a useless piece of furniture._

 _I don't know what came over me._

 _But when I saw her,_  
 _I had found something,_  
 _Much more important,_  
 _Than what I've been taught._

 _To be able to protect someone._  
 _The empathy I had thrown a long time ago._

* * *

 _Anger._

 _Had she ever felt like this before? Even when her brother killed a cat in front of her; after torturing it multiple times? No. Not like this. This grief-stricken expression she had was not like her._

 _Alyssa's body felt really small in her arms. Lifeless. Beaten. Drained of all its energy. She was just a kid. How can someone do that to her?_

 _"Why? Ivan, why? What did she ever do to you?!"_

 _"She made you weak, Lilliane."_

 _Caring for someone makes you weak. Her mother's words echoed in her head. That wasn't true. She still executed her orders perfectly. Not once did she fail in eliminating her targets._

 _What had possessed Ivan to kill Alyssa?_

Lilliane lifted her head up, the sky looking far more calm than the memory that transpired in her mind. Drops of water streamed down her face; but it wasn't raining. Slowly, she raised her hand to touch her cheek.

Tears. When was the last time she had them?

She didn't know whether to categorize this as tears of sadness or anger. She did this to Alyssa. She destroyed her life. Simply because she had pitied an infant and took her in.

Alyssa always had a bright smile on her face. Lilliane remembered the first time she learned to walk. How her tiny feet struggled to keep up with her. The young girl gave her the hope she never had. Everything was fixed for her.

But Alyssa had given her the chance to be...a mother.

Bethroted. She was to be married into the Sakamaki family. She clenched her fist at the thought. Her father betrayed her trust. He planned this all along. Right from the moment he exiled her.

Still, Karlheinz assigned her to the Mukami brothers. Was he expecting that she get attached to them so easily? If so, then she had been fooled twice now.

A pitter-patter of water dropped on her head. Followed by another. And another one. The rain masked the sorrow she had on her face. She stayed under the cold weather, unmoving, as if waiting for a miracle to happen.

"This is stupid."

She turned around, about to make her way back home, but paused at the sight of a familiar woman standing in her way. Her eyes widened, mirroring the same red eyes the older female had.

Virgilia started to walk towards her sister. Liliane's feet seemed to be frozen on the ground, not even moving an inch when she had stood an arm's length in front of her.

"It's been a while, Hime-chan."

"Onee-sama...what are you doing here?"

She chuckled brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. The rain continued to fall above them in a serene shower, not strong enough to block a clear view of the person in front of them.

"Is that the first thing you ask someone you've never seen for a long time? It's been decades, Hime-chan."

She was at lost for words. How can she be here?

"Onee-sama...I..."

"It's okay Hime-chan. You can go home now. You have a reason to. Emile just recently died."

"W-What? Emile onii-sama? But he-"

"I killed him Hime-chan."

Her breathing hitched. Was Virgilia always this powerful? Emile was not an easy opponent, she knew this based on experience. But for her sister to casually be able to say that she murdered him...

"I asked to challenge father in a duel in exchange for your return. How absurd of him to hand you over to a vampire."

"But why Emile-"

"He got in the way. Still, father considered my proposal. Now come, let's go home. Mother is wa-"

"She's not going anywhere."

An arm wrapped possessively around her, releasing the nerves from her muscles as she recognized his scent. She leaned back to him unconsciously, as if attempting to hide herself from her sister.

"Who are you?" Virgilia asked, her demeanor changing into a defensive one which didn't escape Lilliane's attention.

Out of reflex, she pushed Yuma aside, startling the vampire a bit and held the pocketwatch on her hand. It transformed into a sword, which she proceeded to point at her sister's direction. Virgilia scowled at this.

"Onee-sama. Please leave."

"For you to bravely point your sword at me, you should know your place Hime-chan."

That smile. The same face she had when they last saw each other and she said-

'One day, I will kill you Hime-chan.'

Virgilia reached for her own weapon, pulling it from its sheath, accepting an informal duel as response. Neither of the two showed signs of withrawing, and Yuma could only look at them as a bystander.

"Onee-sama. No. Virgilia. I am not going back to that place again. I'm not leaving Yuma! So please, just-"

"What?" She let out a defeaning laugh.

"How absurd of you to utter such words. Have you forgotten? We were trained to end lives. We have no room for desires."

"You're wrong! I'm not like that anymore!"

One step forward, her blade clashed with her opponent's. Memories from when they used to spar against each other brought nostalgia as they tried to evade the attacks of one another. Only this time, there are no limits, and they are actually trying to kill each other.

Yuma took a step forward, but was stopped by an arm blocking his way. He recognized it as Sayori's, the maid that Lilliane brought with her.

"Uga." Franca also stood beside her, staring up at him with wide innocent eyes as she shook her head, as if asking him not to do anything.

"It will be considered as an insult to Princess Lilliane's pride if we try to interfere."

It was the first time she addressed her master as such, Yuma thought. He never really focused much when Karlheinz had taught them the laws of royalties and aristocrats. This was more of Ruki's forte. But even for him, who was a vampire, can't help but feel inferior compared to the two princess.

They attacked with precision. All of which had the intent to kill.

The weapon in her left hand was knocked out as Virgilia aimed for her hand. His senses twinged; he was worried that she'd get hurt. The blood dripping from her arm had confirmed his fear.

"Hime-sama-!"

"Do not move Sayori! You know your orders."

It was a servant's duty to understand the will of their master. But for her who had been given a second chance to live...The princess saved her life.

"Hime...you disappoint me."

Lilliane gritted her teeth. The pain was nothing compared to what she had experienced before. But still, she was shaking internally. The bloodlust her sister emitted during their fight was enough to make her be on guard in case she decided to aim for Yuma.

"You have given yourself to one of them. You have been tainted."

She saw it coming but she kept still. The blade piercing her chest, the sharp feeling making the blood rush out of her mouth.

She knew she was about to die but she was left unscathed. Before Virgilia's sword can even touch her, she had been blocked-by none other than Zaphkiel. He had materialized into his human form, the weapon shattering against the impact of his power.

Virgilia's eyes widened. Not out of fear but of resentment. This was the god who inhabited her sister's soul. The reason why their father and mother had been wary of her since she was a child.

"Zaphkiel..."

"We have a contract, Lilliane. I cannot let you die until you fulfill it."

Virgilia kept her ground, but knew that there was no use in continuing this battle. Even for her, a god was too much to handle. With no words being said, she disappeared, leaving the scene with no trace of her being there.

Zaphkiel turned around, holding out his hand for Lilliane to take. She took it, and immediately after she did, the man turned back into the form of a pocketwatch.

How would she face him? Can she even look at him?

Just as she was about to turn around, someone had embraced her from behind, hindering her actions. She placed an affectionate hand at the head that had leaned itself on the side of her neck.

"Yuma..."

"I'm still useless."

She turned around in his arms, cupping his face to look at him.

"I couldn't do anything. I just stood there. Doing nothing."

Instead of replying, she kissed him. It wasn't the usual lustful form of liplocking they had. This was a firm one; almost as if she wanted him to understand something.

"You will never be useless. You're going to be my husband. And we're going to protect our family together."

"But you're engaged...to that neet..."

"I don't care about that. I love you Yuma. I only want you."

* * *

 _As she said those words,_  
 _I can't help but kiss her again._

 _Her warmth enveloped me,_  
 _She accepted me,_  
 _As a vampire and as a man._

 _I love you._

 _I whispered as she held me,_  
 _Secured in her arms,_  
 _Her eyes were my serenity,_  
 _My heart trapped by her own._

 _And I kept thinking,_  
 _I never want her to leave me._


	25. Ecstasy Prologue

"A powerful entity resides inside your daughter."

When she was born, Gareth and Kikyo were met with the body of a lifeless child. This was a rare occurence. For an infant of a Phoenix to be born a corpse.

Filled with devastation, they had made one desperate attempt to revive the child. A contract was established between them and the god of time and space, Zaphkiel, in exchange for her left eye.

But Gareth realized what his daughter had become. A vessel for a god, whose powers would limit even those of the four clans. He feared for her life, for a young body cannot control such immense capabilities.

Still, Lilliane grew under the guidance of her mother. She trained with her siblings. Played with them, until the dormant power lying inside her had forced to reveal itself from her body. That was when they realized, she was more dangerous than any opponent they have fought before.

While Gareth wanted to suppress this, his wife and their eldest daughter Virgilia thought the opposite. Both women wanted to control Lilliane and to use her for their own benefits.

A servant once said, before she was killed:

"We have served this family for generations, but none of us can bring ourselves to genuinely like Kikyo-sama and Virgilia-sama. They lack the empathy that shows the worth of a true master."

* * *

Azusa carefully wrapped the bandage around her hand. Yuma sat infront of her, his chin resting in his hands as if he was in deep thought. Lilliane would give him small glances, just to see if he was feeling okay.

"Hime-san..." Azusa interrupted her thoughts. "The bandage...is not too tight...right?"

"Mm. Thank you Azusa."

Out of instinct, she patted his head, a motherly gesture that she unconsciously did when praising someone. The young vampire smiled, feeling comforted by her warm hand.

"Is your wound okay?" Ruki asked, entering the room.

"Yes. Thanks to Azusa-kun. Was that Karlheinz-sama's familiar back there?"

"Ah. Your engagement to the eldest Sakamaki was merely a proposal. After all, you are of the right age. Karlheinz-sama has no qualms about your relationship with my brother."

Yuma flinched when he felt a hand touch his arm. His eyes met Lilliane's, then his gaze went down to her treated hand. Slowly, he held it in the palm of his hand and brought it to his lips.

"Y-Yuma. What are you doing?"

"Hmm? Am I not allowed to?"

"That's not it. Are you...okay?"

He nodded in response and closed his eyes. Her heat melted the coldness of his body temperature, even if he was only holding her hand. If she has this impact on him, he can see why her sister was so intent on having her come home.

"We'll leave you two right now. Come, Azusa."

Ruki and Azusa left the room, leaving the two to themselves. Lilliane stood up and sat beside him, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"Yuma...you can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

"It's nothing. I'm just...tired."

Lilliane moved to the other side of the couch and patted her lap in response. A small tint of red appeared on his cheeks, before roughly laying down his head on her thighs. She smiled at him, brushing aside some of the hair on his face.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want me to kiss you."

He lifted his head, leaning on his forearms, to reach her lips. She met him halfway, her hand holding the side of his face as they moved their mouths passionately against each other.

The sound of a camera snapping got their attention.

Kou, who just recently got home from his idol work, was holding his phone in his hand, a mischievous grin on his face which disappeared when he realized that her got caught.

"Oops. Time to go!"

"Oi, Kou!"

"Leave him be, Yuma. Come on, let's go."

She led him upstairs, inside her bedroom. The walls seemed unfamiliar due to the majority of her sleeping time spent in Yuma's bedroom. She went over to her desk before placing the pocketwatch inside the drawer.

"Who was that before?"

There it is. She knew he would ask questions. Of course. Yuma wasn't the type of person who would just forget about something like that. He wanted answers.

"Yuma...if I tell you...everything...will you still choose to be with me?"

Her meek voice made him look at her back. When she turned around, she had a solemn look on his face. One that he wouldn't expect to be her. She was vulnerable around him, exposing herself from the walls that had built to keep her heart safe.

"You don't know, right?"

Yuma didn't answer. He can only look at her pleading eyes, wanting to find some sort of security in him.

"That's why...I can't tell you. Not right now."

That innocent gesture of pushing her hair behind her ear. He took a step forward, the sound of his shoes startling the girl in front of him. Noticing that he stopped, she walked over to flip the light switch off on the wall.

The moonlight lit a small part of the room, but he saw how she slowly removed her school uniform. The blazer had fallen on the floor, followed by the ribbons laced together; her eyes met his, wanting, full of need.

Her scent was practically begging him to take her.

Before she can fully take off her blouse, huge hands stopped her, taking over her previous actions rougher than her delicate ones. Yuma had ripped the buttons open, shoving the material off her shoulders as he kissed her. Her fingers gripped onto his clothes, pushing the hanging jacket off his arms as well.

Yuma let his lips trace the underside of her jaw, moving down to sink his canine teeth on her collarbone. As her body hit the dresser, an object fell onto the ground; the sudden impact causing it to react, a soft melody coming from it. Her eyes caught sight of a box-a music box. But the vampire devouring her paid no mind to it.

She closed her eyes basking in the heat his fangs were inflicting on her along with the beautiful sound of the music.

"Yuma..."

He retracted his fangs, before pushing the sharp teeth down his bottom lip, blood flowing from the pressure of the thin skin being broken.

Yuma lifted and sat her on top of the surface and kissed her, transmitting the liquid inside her mouth. She moaned at the taste of his own blood, feeling even more simulated than before.

"Sow, I will never let you go."

* * *

The sound of Virgilia's arrival echoed throughout the whole domain of the Phoenix clan. Gareth and Kikyo who stood beside the body of their son, turned their heads at the entrance of the throne room.

"Lia, my daughter. Where have you been?" Kikyo asked.

"Father, I went to see Lilliane."

Gareth did not fail to notice how she addressed her sister. He forbid her to go after Hime. Even after the death of Emile, there was very little time to mourn. The death of his eldest son from the hands of his own sibling triggered the start of the next Throne Wars.

He knew that sooner or later, his body would turn into ashes, and his children would be forced to kill each other for the ownership of the crown.

"Lia! You went against your father? You do know what this m-"

"Of course, Mother. His highness will soon burn into ashes. And when that time comes, we siblings will hunt each other."

Walking over to the body of Emile, she placed her sword in his arms. A sign of remorse for her older brother. They had different ambitions, but he was still her flesh and blood. Nothing will change that.

"Emile fought valiantly Father. You should be proud." She turned on her heels and proceeded to approach the exit of the hall.

"Hime-chan has become stronger, Mother." She muttered.

Lilliane's determined look when she pointed her sword at her was stuck in her mind. Before she would never even think about winning against Virgilia. But those eyes...

The same eyes she had when Alyssa was still alive.

"I never thought you would be the one to kill Nii-san, Nee-sama."

She stopped walking, a figure from the shadows coming onto the light for her to see. He sported the same hair color and red slit eyes that she had, a sadistic grin perched on his face.

"Ivan."

"I can hear the hostility in your voice, Nee-sama."

"You have been forbidden to set foot in these grounds. What are you doing here?"

"Why, Emile was my brother too you know? And you can feel it, right? It's already happened."

Her eyes squinted for a moment before giving her younger brother a dark smile as well. The glint in her eyes showed amusement with detestation.

"You better lay your hands off of her, Ivan."

"Just as I thought. The war already started; the moment you and Emile had a duel witnessed by Father."

He moved closer to her, leaning to whisper in her ear.

"I guess it's a race then, Lia nee-san."

Ivan leaned back walking the opposite direction as her sister.

"To whoever can kill Lilliane first."


	26. Ecstasy 01

"Are you not going to the funeral, Hime-sama?" Sayori asked her again. Lilliane propped a leg over the other, flipping the page of her book to the next side.

"No."

Her servant bowed slightly before leaving the room. Sighing, she turned her head to look outside the window. The weather hasn't changed one bit. It was still dark. The sky looked gloomy in her opinion, no doubt mourning about a loss.

Her attention was caught by a familiar knocking on the glass. It carried a letter, the family crest of the Phoenix Clan stamped in the seal. She stood up and received it before the familiar flew away from her.

It was from her mother.

She opened the envelope and read the contents. Her mother had urged her to at least come back for her brother's funeral, but she knew that once she agreed to go, there's a chance that she might not be able to go back to the Mukamis.

How times have changed.

They acted more like a family to her, she thought. Not related by blood, yet they cared deeply and respected each other. Was it their past human lives that made them that way? Perhaps. Maybe that's the reason why she was so drawn towards Yuma.

However, this moment of serenity was shortlived. Her eyes widened when his name appeared. Her fingers trembled, crumpling the sides of the paper. Fragments of her past memories flashed on her mind.

 _Ivan is here._

He had the nerve to show his face in front of their father. That narcissistic stupid brother of hers. She can feel her eyes turning red from the buried rage slowly rebuilding inside her.

"Hime." His voice startled her.

"Yuma."

Lilliane suddenly felt warm. He didn't address her as 'sow' like he used to. It was embarrassing; hearing him say her name. She placed the now crumpled parchment on the table before turning to face him.

Why were his eyes soft? He was looking at her with such pity, it made her want to vomit. She wanted to shout at him. It wasn't fair of him to make her feel these new emotions fluttering in her chest. Why won't he look at her with those sharp eyes like he used to?

"Hime...I-"

"Stop." She leaned onto him, her head against his chest.

"Don't look at me like that, please. I'm not someone who deserves to be pitied."

"I wasn't pitying you. I'm worried about you."

Those words made her feel weak even more. Without warning, she pushed him down the couch in the study and straddled his lap. She pressed her lips against his with such urgency, Yuma swears he could hear her whimper.

Lilliane bit down his bottom lip, sucking the blood dripping from the small holes her fangs created. His arms tightened around her, the feeling of her fangs making him even more sensitive to her touch.

But it didn't feel right. Like she was trying to use him to forget something. She moaned in his mouth, sharp nails raking down his sweater. Taking advantage of her momentary weakness, he flipped her beneath him, pinning her wrists above her head. Yuma licked his lips to stop more blood from pouring out before kissing the dark haired female again.

"Mn...Mm...Yu..ma..."

His lips moved down her chest. Yuma buried his fangs sharply down the flesh, his grip on her wrists tightening as he did so.

"Yuma..! Stop! It hurts-Nngh!"

It was different from his usual way of biting her. The familiar burning of her body was evident, except it was more pain than pleasure.

"Liar. I ain't letting you escape, Sow. Now, tell me what's wrong." She gave him a skeptical look before her gaze softened and body relaxing on the soft surface.

"Ivan went to the funeral."

"Who's that?"

"My brother. Him and I...our last encounter did not end quite on good terms."

He can feel the anxiousness emitting from her body heat. She trusts him, but not enough to tell him about her past.

"I remember waking up on the streets, burn marks scattered across my body. Still, I had no idea who I was and where it came from."

"Amnesia?" He nodded. Yuma sat upwards, pulling her along with him.

"The slums toughened me. It was a survival of the fittest. There was no time to loiter around. Gangs roamed the towns; I used to be in one. But they all died when the millitary sent tanks to purge the streets. I was the only survivor."

His grip on her seemed to tighten, as if remembering the unpleasant things from his past. Lilliane placed her hand on top of his trembling fingers.

"Yuma...why are you telling me this?"

"You don't have to tell me all about you. But I want you to know more about me. I mean...that's how this-this relationship thing works...right?"

His cheeks were brightening into a shade of red. She never thought he would see him like this. Her heart fluttered at the realization that she really does love him.

Her hands cupped his face to place a kiss on his cheek. Yuma seemed to be surprised by this as the blush on his face darkened even more. Lilliane chuckled at his reaction.

"Hey, Sow. I...I mean..."

"I love you too."

"Wha-! What's with you, saying that so carelessly!"

"Because you were taking too long."

"Tch. You're getting cheeky, Sow. You make me wanna eat you."

Yuma kissed her again, this time a bit more slow which didn't involve fangs nor blood. Her warmth contrasted against his cold body, goosebumps forming on her skin as she touched him. And she never wanted this to end because this moment felt right with Yuma. His hands roamed behind her back; just a bit mo-

"Aha! I knew it! You were doing explicit things in here!"

"Ah!"

Lilline yelped out at the impact of being pushed away by Yuma. She accidentally fell on the floor, and almost hit the coffee table.

Why is it always Kou?

"K-Kou! How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough to see everything, hehe."

"Kou you-come here!"

She sighed at the sight of Yuma going after Kou. Sometimes she finds it hard to believe that the idol was older than the tallest Mukami. If anything, he acted like the youngest. She fixed her blouse and put the crumpled letter on a trash bin before exiting the room.

"Sayori, where are you?"

"Uga." Franca rushed to her side, telling her that Sayori was still out on her errands.

"I see."

Finding no other reason to stay there, Lilliane made her way to her bedroom. She laid down the mattress and closed her eyes. The lack of sleep is making her a bit drowsy. Ever since the fight with her sister, she hasn't been the same. Always constantly on guard, worried that they could be attacked any time.

She regained the habit she thought she lost when she quitted being an assassin.

* * *

"And just when you think the human world couldn't get any worse." Elizabeth complained as she walked in a straight line, causing nearly everyone to moved aside and make way for her.

Kira sighed in annoyance, due to the fact that he was dragged by her and ended up being the one to carry her unusual huge baggage. Full of miscellaneous crap.

"Kira! Will you hurry up! Hime-chan must be waiting for me! Ah! I can't wait to dress her up into a beautiful lady!"

"How can she, when you just suddenly decided to show up?"

This fell on deaf ears however as the dark haired girl started running towards the entrance to the hills. It was a bad idea not to bring a vehicle. The roads looked very steep and walking would take a long time.

However, she was still determined to meet her friend. The same can't be said for Kira.

"Can I go ho-"

"No! C'mon, we're close."

She can feel the presence of vampires. The forest on top of the hills were a perfect camoflauge to hide their scent. Not that anyone would ever suspect them living here, but no human in their right mind would dare to go and explore a house separated from the rest of the city.

Just then, Kira's senses sharpened as he picked up the sound of leaves crunching on the ground.

"Kira. That's..."

"Nn.."

A group of rouge vampires appeared in front of them. Their eyes were red, blinded from the lack of blood.

"It seems they have been feeding on animal blood. How pitiful."

One snarled at her comment, and took a step foreward, as the others attempted to surround them.

"Seriously...you ought to know your place."

The vampire was pierced by what seemed to be a long and thin piece of cloth. Elizabeth manipulated the long ribbons, each of the edges going through the bodies of their hostiles. Their bodies burned, turning into ash in a matter of seconds.

"You got sloppy."

"What?"

"One's still alive." Kira said so, making an emphasis of stepping on the head, crushing it beneath his feet.

"Ugh, that's disgusting."

"What are rouge vampires doing in the human world? It's a bit weird."

"What do you mean?"

"These were fomerly humans. Someone must be creating them." He said, taking out a notebook, and flipping it open.

"Here. Their souls were recently collected by my father's workers."

"But it's forbidden for a corpse to be tampered with...magic. Even in the demon world and the upper world."

"I know. We should hurry. Hime could be in trouble."


	27. Ecstasy 02

Yuma sighed for the seventh time. She didn't even realize that she was unconsciously counting the number of times he released his breath. The tip of her pen slid across the paper of her notebook, occasionally looking at the open book by her side to read the equations. He refused to do his homework, and she sure as hell wasn't going to do it for him.

Lilliane was aware of the burning stare he was giving her, back turned to him as she sat on the chair beside the desk in her room. She agreed to let him stay, on the comprimise that he was going to let her do her work in peace.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to last long.

"I'm bored." She hummed in response, still focused on doing the assignment.

"Are you done yet?"

"I told you I won't be done for another hour, Yuma. I missed a lot of classes, so I need to make up for it by doing extra work."

"Who cares about that stuff?"

"I do."

He did not like the fact that she was freely ignoring him. Even his sugar cubes weren't doing anything to sate his boredom. Then, his eyes moved over to where she sat. Her hair was parted on the other side, revealing her pale neck. The bite marks from his teeth were nonexistent, almost as if they didn't appear in the first place.

He stood up, taking slow steps behind her. She heard him, but assumed that he was going towards the door to tend to his garden or something. It wasn't until she felt his presence behind her that she knew she was mistaken.

Yuma bent over, the palm of his hands pressed on her desk. His head laying on the curve of her neck, he let out another sigh, making her jump.

"Y-Yuma!"

He ignored her protest, licking the shell of her ear instead. She closed her eyes shut at the tickling sensation, the hand holding the pen loosening its grip at the same time. Since when did she become so sensitive?

"What's wrong? Don't stop on my account."

He was teasing her. She knew because she had heard that tone in his voice a couple times before, she can only assume that he liked messing with her. Reasoning out with him won't do anything.

Yuma bit the back of her ear, her body getting stiff at the pain spreading through the side of her head. He pressed on even more, sucking the blood flowing from underneath the flesh.

"A-Ah..."

Her own voice even surprised her. Only he can emit such lewd sounds from her mouth. She must be getting sick, because she wasn't supposed to feel this much pleasure. His arms wrapped around her, fangs pulling away only to create a new mark on her neck.

She moaned. This was gentler than the last one; still it didn't change the pace of him drinking her blood. It was a drug that he slowly got addicted to, until he realized he wasn't just satisfied with the delicious liquid flowing through her veins.

She was already warm, but her body felt even warmer when he lifted her and threw her down the bed. Yuma hovered over her, pushing his jacket off his shoulders as he gave her a smug grin.

"Time for a break, Sow."

* * *

"So...we're lost aren't we?"

They've both been walking around in circles ever since they reached the path deep inside the forest. Kira swore that they must have been passing by the same damn tree for the fifteenth time.

"Let's ask for directions."

"Yeah, nice try stupid. Who are we going to ask? The grass?" She snorted at him.

Elizabeth wasn't normally this cranky, but if you had been stuck in the same place for about four hours now, you would really lose your patience. Kira can't even complain without being on edge, thinking that the girl with him might go on a rampage. Wait. Then maybe someone would notice and come get them. Or is that just a bad idea?

"We should've brought your sister."

"Well, if I did that then no one will look after the shop!"

"It's for a few days, you could've just closed it or som-"

"Oh my god, listen to yourself! I can't just 'close it' genius. That is basically my life's work."

"..shut up."

"I know ri-excuse me? Did you just tell me to-"

"Keep your voice down."

She noticed his rigid composure. She immediately stopped speaking. There were movements coming towards their direction, the sound of the grass brushing against something alerting them both.

Did someone follow them? They weren't trespassing in a private property, right? They'd want to avoid trouble as much as possible; how stressful can it be to ju-

"Uga."

"Huh? That's..."

Franca tilted her head to the side, scanning the two strangers. She can barely make out their faces in the dark, but her system informed her that these two weren't hostiles.

"Uga. Uga."

"What did she say?"

"How am I supposed to know? Only Hime-chan can understand Franca."

Franca turned around, motioning for them to follow her. After 30 minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the front of the Mukami mansion, where Sayori was standing outside. Her expression turned to that of surprise when she saw that the little android did not return alone.

"Sayori."

"Kira-sama. Elizabeth-sama. Why are you here?"

"We're here to deliver a message. Where is Hime?"

The door suddenly opened, revealing Ruki and Azusa. They both smelled the presence of two unusual beings and assumed that someone an enemy had entered the property.

"You. You were at Karlheinz's party in Eden." Kira said staring at Ruki. He recognized him as the one who danced with Hime, which was very weird. If she agreed to dance with him, then she must have a certain amount of trust in him.

"Mn. You are not demons. But definitely not humans either. Yet your presence...it reminds me of Karlheinz-sama."

"It's rude to make a guest wait outside you know?"

"Ah, forgive me, Miss. I was simply gauging the situation before I act upon it. Please come in." He lead them inside the mansion, straight to the living room. Azusa followed behind, a curious look on his face.

"Then? To come all the way here in the human world. Do you need something?"

"You need not concern yourself with this. We simply need to speak with Hime." Elizabeth sternly said.

"I'm afraid she is...busy right now." She raised an eyebrow at that? What did he mean? What can she be possibly doing?

"That reminds me, I saw her with another guy in the garden at the night of the party too..." He drawled out, followed by a yawn. All that walking made him very tired...

"Wait a minute. Why are you only telling me this now?!"

Elizabeth gripped the collar of his shirt, shaking him back and forth as she ranted in his face. The male ignored her complaints, trying to block out that annoying high pitched voice.

"Hey, Kira! Are you even listening to me?"

His eyes were now wide open, staring straight at the person they came here for. She had an incredulous look on her face. The same guy he recognized as the one he saw with her in the Eden's garden following behind her.

"Kira? Eli? Why..."

He broke away from Elizabeth's hold, standing up in the process.

"There's something you need to know."

* * *

She took a sip from her cup of tea, giving Elizabeth a look. She wasn't normally this...serious. That was more of Lilibeth's thing. Instead, she was fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist, giving Kira a look.

"If this is about my brother Emile, I already know he died."

"Well, there's that too. But this was just recently announced at the funeral. You weren't there so you don't know..."

She had a feeling that this had something to do with Ivan's return. And her sister forcing her to go home...

"The death of your brother rose many suspicions. His death at the hands of your sister, a duel that your father permitted. Rumors of Karlheinz's betrayal are also surfacing. This could...lead to another war."

She shouldn't be surprised. But the moment she lifted the cup, it fell on the ground, the remaining drink spilling on the floor. Her hand was abnormally shaking. She wasn't usually like this. It was bound to happen anyway; why did she feel fear?

"Hime-chan, are you okay?" Elizabeth finally spoke. Her eyes held worry for her friend.

No. She hated that look. She tried to calm herself down, but her body was getting goosebumps all over. The mention of the Throne Wars seemed to trigger something else inside her head; still she had no idea what it was.

She stood up before excusing herself and walking upstairs to her room. The bed was a mess, the thin sheets spread all over the edge of the bed to the floor. But she did not have the urge to fix it or lay down. She just...stared at it. Glared was a more accurate description.

With determination, she opened the door and left the room. Her feet kept padding on the ground, slowly moving towards the other wing of the mansion. She stopped in front of his door, but hesitated on whether to knock or just enter. He could be sleeping, she'd been outside for quite a long time too.

Only, the door opened revealing the vampire she came to see. Without any questions asked, he pulled her in his room and closed the door. For a second, she thought he was thirsty again, but was surprised when he wiped something on her face with his thumb. It was then she realized that tears had fallen from her eyes.

She wasn't sad. Nor upset. So why was she crying?

Yuma didn't say anything as he carried her to the sofa in his room and laid down with her on top of him. His arms wrapped around her in a cold embrace. The gesture was strange for someone like him, but nevertheless...it was comforting.


	28. Ecstasy 03

Nimble fingers fastened the material around her waist, proceeding to ruffle the skirt following it. Lilliane faced the mirror, the palms of her hand holding on to her stomach as Elizabeth fixed the dress.

"Is the corset too tight?"

"No. It's fine."

Nodding, the brunette continued her work, lacing multiple ribbons behind her back. Her hair was tied up in an elegant ponytail, dark strands falling down her face. Unlike before, it showcased both of her eyes, opting not to wear her contact lens just yet.

"Done."

She admired the dark bodice curved around her body. She used to wear formal clothing like this when she was younger. Looking at the reflection in front of her made her realize how many years have already passed, the changes that weren't noticeable to the naked eye remained the same.

"You're not usually this timid. Is something wrong?"

Elizabeth gave her a nostalgic smile, before taking a seat on the bed.

"It's just...things have changed. And it just sinked in. You're with a vampire. Remember when we used to hunt their kind?"

Lilliane nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. How can she forget? She mostly went after them due to the nature of her past profession. She met the twins under the supervision of her mother, of course. Those were the days. Back when they used to obey orders without any hesitations.

"I know you don't want to remember, Hime. I understand. You lost someone very dear to you that day."

"You also lost a very important person, Eli."

She didn't even bat an eyelash. She had tried to bury the bitter feeling deep in her soul. Partly why she left and went on to start a new life with her sister.

Lilliane looked at her from the mirror, one that said many apologies for the many mistakes she had triggered in the past.

"I'm very sorry Eli. If it weren't for me then he-"

"Stop." Elizabeth rose from her seat. Slapping both of her cheeks, she smiled.

"This isn't the time to be sentimental. Come on! I can't wait to see how your lover would react seeing you like this!"

A tint of red rose to her cheeks. They were definitely...lovers, right? Come to think of it, they never made it official. But with Yuma, no words were needed to be said. He was more engaging in terms of...physical affection.

"Of course, you've gone on a date right?"

"Huh? What's that?"

"Something that couples do?"

"Like what? Chores?"

Elizabeth literally face-palmed. She forgot that Lilliane was very clueless in this department, since this is the first time that she had taken interest in the opposite gender.

"And he hasn't asked you out?"

"I-I don't think there's a...need for that."

But the look Elizabeth gave her screamed just the exact opposite.

"Y-You're not planning to do anyth-" She didn't get to finish her sentence, as the brunette had already stood up and rushed out the room.

"W-Wait! Eli!"

* * *

The sun strikes brightly in the sky, a mild blow in the wind giving an airy atmosphere in the garden. Yuma, with a trowel in his hand was digging for the new seeds he was going to plant. Harvesting the vegetables were hard work, but at least he wasn't alone this time.

"Uga."

Franca brought down another sack of soil and fertilizer beside him, before running off to continue her chores. In the opposite direction, Lilliane was holding an umbrella above her head and making her way over to the flowerbeds where the tulips was located.

"Uga?" She tilted her head in curiosity.

"Franca. Please get a basket and ask Sayori to gather these for me."

"Uga."

After she left, Lilliane kneeled down to brush the tip of her finger on the smooth petal of the flowers. Purple tulips grew on Yuma's garden, among with red and yellow ones. Although on one corner, a lone one was planted; the only white-colored tulip in the flowerbed.

"Hime-sama. You called for me?"

"Sayori. Please cut that flower."

Come to think of it, when was the last time she visited her grave?

"Hime-sama, do you want me to..."

"No. This is fine. Please arrange for your sisters to meet me in the Demon World."

"Understood."

She stood up, still holding the umbrella and looked over to her side. Yuma was still busy on tending to his garden, which was fine. For a moment, she wondered if she'd be able to protect him if the time calls for it. Will he still accept her, if she tells him the truth about her past?

Without a second thought, she turned on her heels and went back inside. She made her way down the basement, where Sayori's sisters were waiting. The two bowed before her presence, before leading her the way out of the forest towards the premises of the holy graveyard.

"Hime-sama, welcome back."

"Mn. Then, shall we go?"

* * *

The loud banging echoed yet again, the walls of the castle vibrating from the impact. William tried to brush it off, and focus on polishing his sword, until his door was pushed open, the noise ringing in his ears accompanied by the horrendous sound from the outside.

"Onii-sama."

"Tch." He scowled. "Valeria. What do you want?"

"Oh my, that's no way to talk to your very cute sister, Onii-sama."

Valeria, when not playing with their servants in the garden was always seen either beside their father or Lilliane. He knew the young girl looked up to her older sister and even wanted to come and visit her in the human world, which she would've done, if not for the firm warning of their mother.

"Uga." Her own android female servant followed her, but did not step foot inside the room. Valeria, however, was not compelled to simply stop by the door.

She walked over to where William was, both her hands propped on her hips. The two had a staring contest, until the boy flicked her head in annoyance.

"Ouch! Onii-sama! What was that for?"

"Suddenly coming in here without permission. Father and Lilliane spoiled you too much."

"Hmmp, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Convince mother to let me see Onee-sama in the human world!"

"Why don't you go and tell her that yourself? Seriously, why is everyone constantly buzzing about that brat?"

Noticing the sudden hostility coming from his brother, Valeria smiled mischeviously. William was easy to annoy and anger. Just mention one of either two things he hates. Her sister's name and the very obvious gap in their abilities.

"Seriously, this is why mother prefers Onee-sama over you, Onii-sama. You have no guts."

In an instant, William had pointed the tip of his newly sharpened sword at Valeria's neck. The young girl did not flinch, still giving him a pitying smile and look. She was mocking him. She raised her hand and pushed the blade away from her line of sight to the side.

"Look at how pathetic you are, Onii-sama. If it were Virgilia-nee-sama or Lilliane-nee-sama, none of them would ever hesitate to slice my head off. Even if I was their own sister."

That seemed to hit a nerve inside him, as his whole composure crashed down at her words. He was never good enough. Even Emile acknowledged Lilliane as someone who was more fit to rule their kingdom. He was a failure. Someone who needs to constantly push down others just to protect his own pride. But that pride was already defiled, the moment Lilliane's blade left a wound mark on his stomach, reminding him of his own impotence.

"Get out."

"Huh? Already? What about my re-"

"I said get out!"

She flinched.

"Gh! Okay, okay! No need to shout...seriously."

She walked outside, where her female android was waiting and made sure to close the door loud enough for her brother to hear.

"Ah, that's it! I'm running away! I'm going to see onee-sama whether they like it or not!"

"Uga."

"I-I wasn't doing it on purpose Celia! How dare you ask your master that?"

"Uga."

"Whatever. Most importantly, I need to pack for our trip. Ah~I can't wait to see onee-sama!"

* * *

 _Her arms cradled the small infant. Her pale complexion contrasted the heavy color of her hair. Eyelids shut; small lips, nose, ears, fingers, toes-everything about her just seemed so...small._

 _"What a fragile creature..." Lilliane's index finger caressed the smooth flesh of her cheek waking up the child._

 _Instead of being upset like she thought it would be, her lips grew into a small grin, hands reaching out for the fingers. It turned into a high-pitched laugh as she tried to bite on her finger. Suddenly her face felt warm. She could not see it, but she knew that her cheeks were flushed red._

 _"...uwawawa..."_

 _"Are you hungry?"_

 _"Hime-sama!" Sayori called out, stopping at the sight before her._

 _"Hime-sama...?"_

 _"Sayori. Take this child and go back inside the castle." She nodded, as Lilliane gently handed her the infant._

Now she stood in front of the cold marble, German words engraved on the stone along with a name. She kneeled down, placing the single tulip on top of the grave.

"I'm back, Alyssa."


	29. Ecstasy 04

Yuma vaguely remembers the feeling of being shot, his legs suddenly immobile at the sound of a gun. The burn marks on his skin was a permanent sign of his lost memories. The feeling of being helpless before he became a vampire.

 _Edgar._

He opened his eyes, sweat slowly falling from his temple down to his neck. The room was cold, the windows opened to let the air in. The lights were dim as well, the only source being the lampshade on top of his drawer. He groaned, remembering that he has school that night. Why did they even bother to continue going there when it wasn't even necessary?

He frowned, feeling more drowsy than usual. He had heard that name before; maybe when he was still a human. Yuma stood up, mindlessly going inside the bathroom attached to his bedroom and taking a shower. The cold water woke him up, jumping slightly from the pressure it was rainimg down on him.

Lilliane went back to the demon world, as Sayori said. It hasn't even been a whole day, but he was already missing her. He thought about following her, but even he had no idea where the castle she lived in was located.

He dried his hair afterwards, tying it up before proceeding to put on his uniform. Normally by this time, she would've been waiting for him down the foyer area. She was always early, greeting them with a small smile on her face before getting inside the limousine.

As he went down the stairs, Yuma was confused to find his brothers and the two guests seemingly discussing about something. Ruki had a serious look on his face, even Kou wasn't smiling at all. Azusa just kept his gaze down, eyes filled with worry.

"Yuma-kun..." Kou was the first to address his arrival.

"Hey. What's going on here?"

"That." Elizabeth pointed outside, where a carriage was parked in front of the mansion.

Multiple familiars with the mark of the royal family surrounded the vehicle. Kira, who was normally dozing off, looking uninterested in a corner, is even wide awake, staring at the strangers outside from the demon world.

"What are you all doing here?"

Lilliane, who just came back from her destination entered the foyer area. From the looks of Elizabeth, she can kind of guess what has happened.

"Hime, they're outside."

She walked past them, opening the double doors wide open, revealing herself to the familiars who were possibly sent by their father. Elizabeth abd Kira followed after her, standing behind as they approached the unexpected guests. The royal guards straightened up their postures, kneeling in front of her in respect. One of them stood up as soon as it happened, opening a scroll and reading the contents.

"Princess Lilliane Von Phönix. Your presence is requested by the council in lieu of being a suspect in the recent crimes involved with the illegal use of black magic to revive corpses-"

"Wait a minute!" Elizabeth interrupted. "That can't be! Lilliane has been here in the human world for months. What you're saying is impo-"

Lilliane raised a hand to stop her arguments. Kira remained neutral, opting to stay quiet in the current situation.

"But, Lilliane..."

"It's okay. I'll come with you. Let's go."

"As expected of Princess Lilliane. We deeply apologize for the trouble this may cause you. We are merely following orders, but we do not believe you are capable of such a thing. Be careful, Hime-sama."

"Mn." She nodded, as she went inside the carriage.

A mist of dark air surrounded the vehicle, befoee disappearing into thin air. The silent atmosphere was interrupted by Elizabeth's voice.

"We need to go."

"I agree. I can't see how this is going to go well for Hime."

"Wait, Kira." His head shot up at the mention of his nam.

"I'll come with you."

"Yuma-kun-" Kou started but was interrupted by Elizabeth.

"Good, because I was about to drag you with us anyway. Hime-chan is important to you, right?"

He didn't have to speak for them to know his answer. His eyes said it all.

* * *

Sharp thorns loitered the trees, and only one wrong move is what it takes to be close to your death. The group carefully treaded around the area leading to the Phoenix Clan's territory.

"We're close."

Sayori and Franca were immediately sent back to the castle for the hearing of Lilliane. Normally, in cases like this, execution was the immediate punishment, but due to her royal blood, she was exempted from this.

"We're here."

The whole castle was the opposite of the lively and beautiful eden. Yuma stared in surprise, as it wasn't what he expected.

There was the eerie atmosphere, along with the number of ravens flying on top of the towers located in the wings of the castle. The gate was a wide iron door, which can only be opened by a member of the royal family or the royal guard. No one but them has been able to open it, preventing outsiders from trespassing the property.

"So...how are we getting in?" He asked, looking at the giant door.

The gate opened, as if in response revealing Sayori, with two other girls dressed in the same attire as her. They bowed, leading them inside as the gate closed behind them.

"Sayori, what's happened?"

"Kira-sama, another duel has been permitted."

This perked the interest of Yuma. He noticed how the two froze at the maid's words, as if they needed to carefully tread through rough waters.

"Between who?"

"Princess Lilliane and Prince Ivan."

* * *

She was a stranger even to her own room. She stared at the mirror, clad in a dress that in her opinion, did not fit her too well. Eli makes better dresses than the tailor who made this. If she were to describe it in one word, it was too...pure.

There was a sudden knock on the door. The entrance to her room opened, followed by Franca's small form.

"Uga. Uga." Without any hesitation, she ran outside the room, and into the lounge area. She stopped just as she saw her sibling, a yellow blur rushing over as she noticed her sister's presence; Valeria jumped onto Lilliane's arms, giving her a tight hug.

"Onee-sama! I knew you'd come back!"

"Val, why are you here?"

"I heard that you're coming from Lia onee-sama. I missed you!"

Valeria nudged her face playfully against her sister, but Lilliane's attention drifted over to Yuma. Even at a small distance, they both seemed to be far away from each other. She longed to be in his arms, on the confines of his bed, tangled together in a sweet embrace.

But it wasn't possible right now.

A loud cry echoed through the walls, loud banging sent vibrations on the ceiling. The sound of familiar steps that she knows all too well interrupted all the conversations in the room.

"Hime-chan, welcome home."

Her mother was calm today, unlike the last time she was here. That's a good sign.

"Your rooms have been prepared. Sayori, lead them to where they are. Hime, I'm sure you're tired as well. Rest for the night. You too Valeria."

Her pampering hasn't changed. At least she is still capable of showing something motherly, she thought. Ignoring Valeria's protests, she was carried by her own servant to her room by the orders of her mother. Lilliane stood still, watching as Kikyo left the scene.

"Well then, please follow me." Sayori broke the silence.

When Yuma was no more than an arm's length away from her, fingers darted out to clutch onto his blazer. He stopped walking, their silent movements bringing no attention to the people in front of them. She kept her head down, lips slightly curling upwards when his hand intertwined their fingers together. She pulled him walking in the dark stone halls as she lead him to the direction of her room.

She opened the door, urging him to sit on the bed. The only light illuminating the room cane from the moon outside, the windows opened to let the cool breeze inside. Curtains swayed along with the wind, the edge of parchments of paper on the desk dancing along with it. Yuma was the first to break the silence.

"Is it always going to be like this?"

"Like what?"

"You leaving. Me left in the dark. As always."

Her arms wrapped around her body, as if shielding herself away from his questions. Yuma stood up, towering over her. As took a step forward, her feet moved backwards until she reached the edge of her desk. Fingers reached to clutch her chin upwards, his eyes far more sharper than she last saw them.

"Yuma...I-"

He gritted his teeth, releasing her chin to pull down the fabric of her dress. Cold lips pressed down her skin before biting the warm flesh. Lilliane held onto him as he sucked her blood; the familiar feeling lowering her defenses down even just a bit. She had never been as vulnerable as she was when with him that it was scary.

"Were you guilty?" He asked, blood still dripping from his mouth.

"No. It was all just a ploy by my brother."

"Why'd he do it?"

"...I can't tell you."

Yuma pushed himself away from her, staring at her with such a distraught expression. She knew she was being unreasonable, keeping these things from him, but she just can't bring herself to tell him the truth.

"Stop using that as an excuse!"

He slammed his fist against the wood.

She mirrored his expression when she saw him making his way to the door. A sudden feeling of uneasiness washed over her; he can't leave her. Her sudden actions filled with desperation, she hugged him from behind, startling the young man.

"Don't leave...you can't leave..."

"Sow, let-"

"He'll kill you too! H-He can't-You c-can't-I-I can't-"

Lilliane's words were all over the place, shaking and stuttering as he turned around to look at her. She was looking at him, but her mutterings seemed to be more addressed to herself than him.

"...like Alyssa-I can't let you die like Alyssa-I can't let you die like Alyssa-I can't..." She kept saying the same thing over and over again, which made him wonder.

Who the hell was Alyssa?


	30. Ecstasy 05

Dark skies loomed over the place, ravens crying as they flew above, like a predator seducing their prey. Lilliane took a deep breath, the cold wind far more comfortable than she remembered. Her sword rested infront of her, the blade facing the ground. Franca stood behind her, in standby mode.

"It's starting, isn't it?" Valeria and Kira had been chosen to witness the duel, alongside William.

Ivan looked more calm, a smug grin permanently perched on his face. This was fate, he presumed. The growing hatred he had for his sister, only intensified as she stared at him with the same emotion. A single mistake could lead to the death of one.

"It's been a while, Lilliane."

"Ivan. I will not forgive you calling me by that name, even if you are my brother."

"Don't be like that. After all, I named my precious pet after you, didn't I?"

"The one that you tortured and murdered, Ivan?"

Silence followed after, as the two positioned themselves. Lilliane was the first to move. Ivan blocked her attacked, ensuing the fight. Three, Four strikes missed, barely hitting an inch of hair or flesh. Her attacks seemed to be less controlled, Kira noticed. Her eyes burning with abhorrence directed to the person in front of her.

She was being careless, to the point of being aggressive. Ivan easily evaded her blade, swinging his own weapon aimed for her right shoulder. She took a few steps backward, blood dripping from the her own wound.

Kira had seen that look before. Lilliane's emotions got the best of her, her usual sharp senses dulled due to being blinded by rage. The memory of holding Alyssa's lifeless body replayed over her mind over and over again. And the man in front of her was the culprit himself.

The last time the two fought, Lilliane won effortlessly. But with the shadow of death following her every move, Kira wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *

Yuma sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the piece of paper with one hand while the other held the pocketwatch Lilliane always brought with her. Humans believed in gods, didn't they? He thought it was complete bull at first, but being the presence of one himself completely turned his thinking around.

 _Open it when you're ready to know._

It was a cowardly move, he thought. She wasn't even here to see his own reaction. He assumed she was referring to her past, seeing as it was the only thing she refrained from speaking about whenever she was with him. He lifted the watch by his line of sight, staring at it intently.

 _ **How long are you going to stare at me?**_

His eyes widened at the sudden voice. He had seen Lilliane talk to this very item as if it was a person; still he did not expect it to be true.

"Are you...really a god? Then does this mean humans weren't idiots all along?"

 _ **What do you think? You were once human as well, weren't you?**_

Yuma grunted.

 _ **Angels, demons. They're not very far apart from each other aren't they? Humans tend to romanticize the very thought of high beings. There is no such thing as a god who is forgiving.**_

Karlheinz rarely touched that subject when he adopted him and his brothers. He knew he should've listened more, but all of it simply went from one ear out the other. Yuma studied, but it was more of Ruki's forte than his. He mostly remembers reading books about how to grow a garden or anything he can bury under the soil.

 _ **Are you curious?**_

"About what?"

 _ **How Lilliane was before she met you?**_

Not giving him any time to answer, the lid opened on its own, a flash of light blinding Yuma for a moment. The second he opened his eyes, he seemed to have been teleported outside, the surroundings a bit familiar to him. There was no doubt that he was still in the Von Phoenix Castle, the difference being the bright sky illuminating everything in sight.

"What the hell is this?"

 _ **We're inside Lilliane's memories.**_

Yuma almost forgot that Zaphkiel was with him, the necklace suddenly placed comfortably over his neck.

Then he saw her. Younger than the woman he'd been with everyday, but it was definitely her. An eyepatch covered her left eye, she stood in front a line of beautiful red roses. Lilliane's hand darted out to hold the flower, crushing it in the palm of her hand in the process.

"Hime-sama! What are you doing?"

Another familiar figure came running after the young girl. It was Sayori. But even from the distance, he can tell that it wasn't the same maid, this one was made of flesh, compared to the cold stare the present one always had.

"Your hand is bleeding, Hime-sama! We have to treat it."

"...It's fine."

"Kikyo-sama told you to stop wandering outside. You'll get sick being around roses for too long. Now, let's go inside, My lady."

Yuma followed after, but as if crossing another dimensional line, he was brought to another location. His eyes widened at the sight of blood, the only light in the room coming from the moon outside.

Even from the darkness he can tell. Lilliane was covered in red from head to toe, the lifeless body of Sayori, her throat and stomach ripped open as if something monstrous had attacked her. The door opened, revealing Lilliane's mother.

"...Mama..."

The woman walked over to wipe the blood off from her face, giving her an affectionate kiss on the top of her head after.

"Did I...do good, mama? Was Lilliane...helpful?"

"Yes, yes. Mama is very proud Lilliane. Was it delicious?"

The young girl contemplated for a moment, innocent eyes staring up at the woman before grinning, blood stains covering her teeth.

"Yes...it tasted so good, mama. I want more..."

Yuma did not know if he had the right to be shocked as well. There were cuircumstances, when he fed, that he completely devoured the bodies of his victims. Probably the reason for his unusually brusque body despite being an impure-bred vampire.

The scene changed again, this time an older version of Lilliane walking straight past him. It was one of her memories where she was on her job as an assassin. Mother had given her the task of killing a noble family in the Vivora clan, but she did not leave without feeding herself. She completely drained every single one of them, licking her lips after drinking their blood.

But then she stopped, seeing a crib, small cries of an infant can be heard.

Yuma blinked, the view in front of him changing yet again. This time, a young girl with short blond hair was running, chasing a butterfly around. She turned for a moment, raising her small arms to wave at something, or rather someone.

"Lilli! Right here, look!"

"Don't run too fast, I can't keep up with you."

Her dark hair flowed down her back, bangs clipped aside to reveal her covered eye. The look she gave the young child was something he often saw when she was with him, or when his brothers would always banter about something.

"Wa-Alyssa! I told you to wait for me!"

So this was Alyssa. She looked no more than 4 or 5 years old. Lilliane lifted her up in the air, both of them laughing as they played together. She almost looked motherly, he thought.

"Lilli, one day...I want a garden full of tulips!"

"Hmm? Really? Well, what color do you want?"

"Red!" She cheerfully answered. When she asked why, Alyssa replied: _Because Lilli's eyes look best when they're red._

It all ended in a second, a flash of light blinding him once again, bringing him back to reality. He was no longer outside, but sitting on the edge of the bed hands still holding the items.

"She didn't want me...to know that?"

 _ **It's not my position to show you any further than that. But Lilliane had lost the first and only person she cared for, and that was Alyssa. Now that you opened her heart that she had sealed off to the world, she fears that history may repeat itself.**_

"Even if that may be the case...I also learned to love someone because of her."

A deep chuckle left Zaphkiel.

 _ **Then the two of you aren't any different from each other, huh?**_

They both had scars, permanent ones that they hide from everyone. Only hers was deeper, considering that fact that she was decades older than him. She learned to bury them behind the mask of a princess, a proud royalty that no one would ever dare to defy.

But they were as old as the Founders weren't they? Their clan was almost extinct, and their ties with the First Blood had been demolished the moment the last King sided with Karlheinz.

How long had she been keeping these wounds all to herself?

* * *

Lilliane gasped, the sword thrown out of her grasp when Ivan's blade made contact with her stomach. He cackled, as he kept on swinging his weapon, and he kept on insulting her, saying that it was her own stupidity that brought him the pleasure of being able to finally end her life.

Normally she wouldn't even blench at his mad ramblings, but she was too angry to cool her head. One move and she'd be done for. It was disgusting, the way he fought. Ivan was a filthy cheater, and the word fair is not even in his vocabulary. He wasn't as manipulative as Virgilia, but she knew him to be just as bad as her sister.

"What's wrong Lilliane? Are you already giving up?"

His voice annoyed her; everything made her see red and she wanted to rip his head off, she needed to sate this burning rage inside of her. But as soon as she stood up, the sound of footsteps echoed in the arena. Her eyes moved over to the newcomer; she did not expect him to arrive with the pocketwatch hanging on his neck. Yuma took a deep breath.

"Hey Mesubūta!"

"Yuma..." What was he doing here? No, he wasn't supposed to be here-he wasn't-

"If you lose I'm changing those fucking tulips back to roses again!"

Valeria let out a loud protest, saying how dare a vampire like him address her beloved sister that way. And she almost forgot that she was in the middle of a duel because Yuma's presence was so overwhelming that she wanted to run in his arms and leave. Kira had the same bored look on his face, but he can see him smirking- _sweet mother of god her face was burning_ -she was blushing, wasn't she?

But instead of feeling embarrassed she smiled and let out a huff.

"What?" Ivan growled at her, moving forward to attack, which she dodged, sliding under to pick up her sword. She pointed it in his direction.

"You think you suddenly stand a chance just because you have your sword now?"

"No. I don't need this to kill you, Ivan." She threw the item sideways, discarding the weapon before walking towards her brother.

"W-What are you doing?"

Her calm demeanor frightened him, much like when they had dueled decades ago. It wasn't supposed to end this way- _Lilliane fought better when she was in her right mind_ - _and that look_ - _that look_ - _that look_ -she was going to kill him, and she would not hesitate-no she wo-

"You've always been like that Ivan. You don't know how to fight your own battles. You're a liar." She was close. "A cheater." He was going to die. "And a coward. Even Valeria, who's younger than you does not fear death. Where as you my dear brother-"

"Don't come any closer!" He started swinging his blade like a mad man, but Lilliane did not flinch.

"You're a disgrace, Ivan."

"Shut up!" He raised his free arm, metal sounds, knocking against each other, revealing a gun.

"Die, Lilliane!" He pulled the trigger, and he was sure it'd kill her because at this length, who could miss a target?

"You're so predictable, Ivan!"

He felt his own blade pierce his chest. What happened to the gun? Why was she still alive? His eyes moved over, to where her hand was covering its nozzle. She-that bitch-

"L-Lilliane...to think...that you'd make the gun...discharge...What a despicable...sister I have..."

"...I'm sorry it had to end like this, Ivan."

She released her hold on the handle of his sword, turned around and walked away from him. His body tumbled on the ground. Lilliane stepped down the platform along with Franca and made her way towards Yuma. Their eyes met; her cheeks blushing a nice shade of red, but weirdly enough, it didn't feel uncomfortable.

But that did not last long.

"Onee-sama! Who is this guy? I haven't seen him before!"

Valeria bombarded her with multiple questions all at once, and she was thankful for Kira slightly holding her back; she was sure that her young sister was ready to pounce at the tall vampire anytime.

"Valeria, that man is your future brother-in-law. Show some respect."

"Eh?" Brother-in-law? Does that mean...

"WHAT?!" That can't be, this is her sister they're talking about, right? Marriage was out of the question-

"You must have done something to my sister, huh you vampire!" She started hitting him, which looked comically almost, because Valeria looked so small compared to Yuma. But her hits hurt like hell.

"Ouch! Hey-you midget! Stop that!"

"H-How dare you! I'm a princess! Onee-sama! This man-"

She laughed. They looked at her strangely, simply because this was not the type of situation one would laugh at, right? But she doubled over in laughter, tears forming in her eyes. She had no idea why.

"Oh, I think she snapped." That earned Kira a pinch on his side and he let out a grunt of pain, giving Lilliane a glare. But she ignored him, and turned to face Yuma. She lifted her head up to look at him, looking-searching for anything but regret.

She clutched the pocketwatch around his neck, pulling him down to reach her height and placed a firm kiss on his lips. His eyes widened for a bit before they closed, leaning down to slide his mouth against hers. Lilliane can hear Valeria's strangled cry of surprise, followed by a whistle, probably coming from Kira.

"You've become shameless, haven't you, Sow?" He murmured against her lips.

"You could push me away."

"We both know you don't want that." He pulled away from her, making her feel cold all of a sudden. She can see Valeria blushing hot from seeing two adults making out in front of her, but her field of vision was suddenly distorted, her legs floating above the ground. Yuma grinned, baring his fangs at her as he carried her over his shoulder.

"I'm not yet done with you, Lilli."


	31. Ecstasy 06

Soft. Thin. Small. Small fingers gently brushing her hair up, a tie slowly wrapping the the strands from the excess annoyance on the child's face. Two pigtails jumped up and down as she ran around the garden, albeit the protest of her guardian.

"Lilli! The tulips are on full bloom again!"

Alyssa's smile brightened her day, no matter how dark the walls of the castle were. She never failed to amaze Lilliane. How a young child can bring this much flutter in her heart; she did not know why. Still, she swore to protect her, care for her and love her as her own.

Small fingers reaching up to hold her slightly bigger hand, she was flashed yet again that innocent smile. That was the moment where Lilliane realized how her mother felt. Seeing her children's misery, despite her imperfect love, Kikyo was still a mother.

"Lilli..." She looked down, seeing the young girl with a solemn look on her face. Lilliane kneeled down, brushing a hair aside her face.

"We'll be together forever...right?"

That was the first time she saw Alyssa look at her with such uncertainty. Her lips curling upwards, cupping the soft cheeks and placing a small kiss on her forehead.

"Yes." She replied. "Forever, Alyssa."

The wind brushed over, it was the first time she saw a cherry blossom tree. Spring was a time of the year that she didn't give much attention to. The time of rebirth, meant nothing to her the moment her sunshine had died.

"You have that look on your face again."

That gruff and careless tone snapped her from her daydream. Lilliane touched the side of her face, as if trying to hide her embarrassment. Yuma stared at her form before looking the opposite direction and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

After the duel, she was summoned. It wasn't the ideal moment she had in mind, still she needed to tell her father. Her mother may disagree but she has made up her mind. As she stood in front of the Phoenix King, Virgilia was nowhere to be found. Her brother William and sister Valeria were the only ones present.

"Father." Her tiara placed on top of it's respective case, she presented it to her father. This was her resolve. She had no need for this title. It was a useless thing for her to have, now that she found something more important than it.

She was about to kneel, and show her respect; after this she was no longer Lilliane Von Phoenix. But someone stopped her. Valeria ran to her, giving her a tight embrace. She can feel the wet tears emerging from her sister's eyes.

"Val-"

"You can't! Onee-sama, I haven't spent much time with you! There's still more I want to tell you, so please..."

"Valeria." Their father's deep voice resonated in their ears.

"Lilliane. You know what this means. You will never be able to set foot in this place again."

"...Yes."

Valeria bursted into tears. Sayori took the case from Lilliane. She kneeled down and returned her sister's embrace.

"Val, don't cry."

"B-But...Onee-sama...I-I still..."

"I love you, my dear sister. I'm sorry." She stood up, letting the young girl slump down the floor as her sharp red eyes were still overflowing with tears.

"Hime-chan..." Normally her mother would let out complaints by now, yet she gave Lilliane probably the most motherly look she ever saw from her.

"Mother...thank you. For everything."

Gareth stood up, and motioned over for her to come. The sound of her footsteps echoed through their ears. William wondered. If they were a normal family, could he have been closer with her?

"Lilliane Von Phoenix. You are banished from this clan. You are forbidden to set foot inside this castle for as long as I live. From now on...you will not address yourself as a princess of this kingdom anymore."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Yuma remembered how she ran into his arms with a smile on her face. She held his hand, dragged him away from the castle she lived in. He briefly looked back to see Sayori and Franca bowing in their direction.

"They're not coming?" He asked. She nodded. She stopped running, making him pause on his tracks as well. She turned and gazed up into the sky. She stretched her arm out, as if trying to grasp the bright moon from the demon world.

"...I'm not a princess anymore. From now on, I'm just...Lilliane."

"You hate that name."

"I don't dislike it...when you call me by my name..."

Yuma dared to look at her again, only to see her staring in awe at the petals of the newly grown cherry blossom. Her eyes sparkled, despite the placid look on her face. He sighed. He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her body. She was startled at the sudden coldness enveloping her back, his hair tickled her neck.

"...This is bad." He muttered.

"...you know. I think I'm really in love with you." Her eyes widened at his sudden confession. It wasn't like he hadn't said it before, but...

"You're cruel Yuma." He stared at her as if asking her why. Her cheeks started to flush a pale tint of red.

"Suddenly saying things like that...it's not fair! I'm...feeling weird again. Like I'm being tickled."

"I love you."

"T-There you go again!" She turned around to face him.

"I'll say it as many times as I want, Lilli. I love you."

He leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Fingers gripped the fabric of his sweater as the wind strengthened its wave, causing the petals to dance along in its direction. Grinning slightly against her lips, Yuma lifted her.

"Yuma!"

"What? You're so small, my neck already hurts."

"T-This is embarrassing. It's like I'm a child..."

"What a demanding wife you already are."

"Ahh!"

Yuma readjusted his hold on her; now she was being carried bridal style. He was really tall wasn't he? She nuzzled into his neck, slowly clinging onto his shoulders.

"Don't you dare drop me."

"Not unless it's on my bed, don't worry."

She hit his chest with less strength that she intended to, blushing again from his answer. He wouldn't put her down for now. She felt warm this close to him; and she felt a bit lighter than he thought she would weigh.

"Maybe I should start fattening you up."

"Huh?"

"No, well...you feel a bit lighter...I think."

She stared at the floating bits of petals, some of them getting stuck on top of his hair. She giggled before raising her hand to brush it off. Yuma started walking, making her hold on to him so she wouldn't fall.

"W-Where are we going?"

"Home. Where else?"

"Like this?!"

"So what? You're my wife anyway."

"You haven't even formally asked me yet!" She huffed.

"Is that really neccessary? You're mine, I'm yours. Isn't that enough?"

They kept their banter all the way, even in the middle of the city. She no longer cared that he was carrying her like this, instead opting to win the verbal bicker they were having. Yuma would slip in a teasing joke in her direction as she furiously defended herself. Their dynamic was a cycle, still no one can ever disregard the fact that the way they look at each other was that of pure admiration.

For a while, Yuma had gone quiet, letting her speak as they neared the Mukami mansion. Lilliane seemed to notice this as she called out his attention. She asked if something was bothering him, to which he replied with a no.

"Why do you have such a worrying look on your face then?"

He stopped walking. He then repositioned her to hang on his shoulder, her face almost hitting his back in the process.

"Y-Yuma?"

"Don't look at me. I can't talk seeing your face like that." He was covering his face with his free hand, trying to stop the growing blush on his face.

"I...have no regrets." She said.

"I want to be with you. So don't worry about me anymore."

He started walking again, this time a bit faster. He can see the mansion, closing in the distance. The color of the sky slowly accommodating the shade of the setting sun, he saw three figures in front of their frontyard. Yuma placed her down on the ground, Lilliane slightly sighing in relief at being able to walk on her own.

"Hime-chan!" Kou called out to her. She smiled back at him, holding onto Yuma's hand as they approached his brothers.

"Hime-san...and Yuma...welcome back..." Her heart weirdly fluttered, hearing Azusa say those words. When was the last time someone said that to her?

"C'mon, you're supposed to say 'I'm home.'" Kou urged. She smiled at the feeling; it was strange for a bunch of strangers to feel more like a family to her than her own flesh and blood.

"I...I'm home."


	32. Ecstasy Epilogue

Yuma watched her closely. He continued picking up his newly grown vegetables, all ripe for the season. But she remained unmoving, instead opting to stare at the tulips as if waiting for something more than a miracle. He stood up, sighing as he placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her.

"Y-Yuma. What's wrong?"

"Here. You can take this inside, I'll pick up the flowers."

"Oh." She mumbled. "..sorry."

She gripped the other side of the basket, but Yuma kept his hold on it as well. She stared up at him curiously.

"Yuma..."

"Are you sure you don't want to go back?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to."

This was her home now. She had no more ties back in that castle. Now that her brother and sister had gone into hiding, she can now live a somewhat normal life in the human world. She gave him a small smile as she made her way inside the house.

It's been almost a month since the two came back from the demon world. She did miss a lot of classes, although to be fair, school was merely a necessity to pass time. She sighed, walking up the stairs to her bedroom. The whole place was a mess, she cringed seeing multiple stacks of her books on the floor. Her suitcase leaning on the wall beside her bed, as if glaring at her procrastination.

She really is bad at cleaning, isn't she?

Lilliane pushed the sleeves of her sweater up to her elbows, intending to try and clean up her room. But seeing the endless miscellaneous crap she brought along with her, she was probably going to give up in the middle anyway.

"Oi, Sow!"

"Yuma?" She stared at the male for a bit, and she swears she can see the sneer on his face upon seeing her room.

"The hell? This looks more like a storage room-"

"Well, you shouldn't enter so suddenly in the first place!"

"Forget about that." He pulled her towards him. "Come on."

"W-wait, Yu-ah!"

He effortlessly carried her over his shoulder like a potato sack-'seriously, what a gentleman'-before rushing out of her room. He didn't even have the audacity to close the door.

"Put me down! Why are you even carrying me?"

"You walk too slow! I don't have time to wait for you!" She let out a loud protest, hitting his back multiple times, but it only caused him to unintentionally loosen his grip on her.

"If you keep squirming you'll fall, idiot."

"I'm already on the verge of falling!"

Ruki's eyes left his book for a moment, sighed, and then proceeded to read again. He was tempted to scold the two, but knowing that it would only fall on deaf ears-mostly Yuma-he just gave up.

"Hey, what's with the commotion?" Kou asked already dressed up for his work as he entered the living room.

"Well..." Azusa didn't have to point it out as the sight of Yuma carrying Lilliane like a sack of potatoes passed by.

"Ah, I'm so jealous! Yuma-kun and Hime-chan are playing house again. They're on good terms aren't they?"

"Hime-san...looks happier..."

•••

"Alright, we're here." He finally put her down. She hated it when he surprised her like that, but subconsciously, it's become a part of their dynamic.

"I told you to stop doing that..."

"Ah, my bad, my bad. That aside, look at this!"

"Huh? What do you want me to-"

It was as if she was frozen in time. Her hand suddenly pressed over her mouth as she tried to keep herself calm. 'Don't cry, don't cry, don't-damn it!' She crouched down, and hid her face from him. Aside from the overwhelming feelings she was experiencing right now, she knew her face was red.

"What's with that? You're not even looking."

She glared up at him. Did he know? But he grinned at her, kneeled down to her level and patted her head. It was a memory she held very deep in her heart-did Zaphkiel show it to him?

"Look. They're bright red. Like your eyes." He pointed out.

Yuma pressed his forehead against hers, watching as her gray eyes turned to the crimson shade of red. It didn't automatically change back to its normal color, but he eventually knew it would. So he stared at it as much as he could, taking note of how her Phoenix-like characteristics really show its true form.

"I hate it when they turn red." He laughed.

"You sure do complain a lot, huh?"

"Shut up. It's weird. I feel dizzy all of a sudden. And my heart won't stop beating so fast..."

He thought she did always look beautiful, but she was even more irresistable being vulnerable like this. She always had a conflicted look on her face, he noticed. Her face wrinkled with emotions of uncertainty, but today was different. He felt her stiffness leave her body and her nerves had calmed down. He turned to where the flowers were and picked a stem from the bunch.

"Why did you pick one up?" In response, he pulled her up to stand with him.

"Because now, I know why he showed me that. You don't have to constantly blame yourself over her death. Alyssa's dream...it's here."

Yuma wiped a single tear that fell from her left eye. It was supposed to be artificial and yet...she was crying. Even though he was brute most of the time, how can he touch her with such a gentle expression?

"Now, it's my turn to fulfill my dream." He placed the flower in front of her. "I've said this before and I will say it again. I love you. Marry me, Lilli."

She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She can never keep up with what he was thinking. She didn't expect another marriage proposal from him, but she should've seen it coming. He was always straightforward after all.

"You always make such funny reactions. It's priceless." He laughed again. She bit her lip, trying not to get even more embarrassed from his teasing. She hated this side of him-always being so cheeky...

"You've already given up a lot to be with me. So be prepared. I won't let you escape or run away. Until the end, stay with me Lilli."

"Me too...I want to make new memories with you. For Alyssa. For myself. That's why-"

He cut her off with a kiss. She let out a squeak, which earned a breathy laugh from the male. But she held onto his neck as he deepened the kiss. It was already a unspoken agreement between the two of them. When they pulled away, she gave a half-hearted glare.

"What now?"

"I wasn't done speaking..."

"Idiot. I don't need to hear an answer. You'll marry me. It's impossible otherwise."

"What is this about marriage?"

"...R-Ruki..."

The said male stood in front of them, a stern look on his face. He had yet to let go of the book in his hand, but hearing this just now, made him forget about the item. Ruki gave Yuma a warning look.

"You can't decide to make an important decision on your own without permission. Yuma. Do you think this is allowed?"

"I don't know." Yuma shrugged. "I didn't think I had to struggle to get permission."

"It doesn't matter if it's a stru-"

"Well, well, I think it's okay."

A white-haired male on his 30s interrupted. Lilliane felt like she had seen him before. Was it at school? But something about him was familiar. Her eyes slightly widened in realization. It couldn't be...But the glint in his eyes told her that she was right. She clutched the pocketwatch hanging on her neck on instinct.

"Sensei, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I have business with Ruki-kun. Azusa-kun didn't know your whereabouts, so I came looking. Although, I didn't expect to witness a student's marriage proposal."

The watch in her hand glowed. She squeezed it. She can practically see Zaphkiel grinning from ear to ear, considering that he has been hearing every single thing the two have said to each other.

"To tear up the love between two people, even a god can't do that, Ruki-kun." He sent a smile in her direction. Or rather, it was aimed towards Zaphkiel. It was a surprise how he's been keeping silent until now.

"It's special. Do you plan on doing a wedding ceremony? If so, then I'd like to be the priest."

The three were taken aback by his casual statement. A vampire king acting as a priest to help two demons get married. It's a really funny thought no matter how you look at It.

"Come now, it's a fortunate day! Don't put off tomorrow when it can be done today! Now, you two change your clothes."

"Change our clothes you say...to what?"

"A dress of course! But since it's sudden, isn't your uniform enough?"

Her uniform? Judging by the state of her room, she won't be able to find it in time. Maybe she can just look for a suitable dress in the meantime.

"Those are good words coming from a teacher." Yuma said. "Come on, let's change!" She almost escaped from him. Almost. Yuma carried her on his shoulders before she can even take a headstart ahead of him.

Karlheinz, disguised in his human form, smiled at the sight. Ruki had a skeptical look on his face. He wouldn't admit it, but as the oldest brother, he was just looking out for Yuma.

"Is it truly fine?" He muttered.

"For the first time ever, that child was able to experience and know the warmth of having a family. Those two love each other, so there's no problem, Ruki-kun." He turned to look at the younger male.

"In this world, there is nothing more beautiful than love."

It just sinked in. As she stood in front of the mirror, clad the dress she wore back in the ball in Eden. She decided not to wear the corset; finally no one was there to tell her how to dress herself. She easily tied the ribbons, and wore her shoes after. It felt so weird. She had never even thought of marriage as it wasn't an option she had the privilege of being given.

"Zaphkiel, you're awfully quiet today."

'Well, I don't really have anything to say. I did what you asked me to do.'

"You...showed it to him didn't you?"

'He deserved the truth, Lilliane. You and I both know that. He has not left you yet, so it's fine, isn't it?'

"I really hate you sometimes."

He didn't respond after that. She closed the drawer of her bedside table, moving to the vanity table to brush her hair. Something that Sayori used to do for her.

She missed them.

"Leave your hair down."

Yuma said, leaning by the entrance of her room with his arms crossed. He had already changed into his school uniform, looking at her with the usual bored look on his face. But his eyes said otherwise. They were brighter than usual, she thought.

"Okay..." She fiddled with her thumbs. What was she getting embarrassed for? She sat on her bed, trying to calm her heart for a bit.

"Hey, Lilli." Yuma kneeled in front of her and held her hands. He softly smiled. "I never thought I'd have a princess for a bride."

In any other moment, she would've disagreed and remind him that she was no longer one for she had left that title way back. Instead, she pressed her lips on his forehead, which he welcomed surprisingly. Then, their eyes met.

"I, Yuma Mukami, promise not to suck anyone's blood except for Lilliane. Is that good enough?" He teasingly asked her. She chuckled at him.

"What's with that...that's...lame." She said as he lightly bumped her head with his.

"Well, that's what a vampire would say. There's a lot of love in that." He defended.

"Fine." She cupped his cheeks and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I, Lilliane, promise to love Yuma Mukami, for the rest of my life." Then she added. "That's how you do it."

"Shut up, idiot. You're the only woman I'll love like this, forever. Is that better?"

"Better than the first one, that's for sure."

"Stupid." She leaned her head on his chest, and embraced him. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. So be my princess only. Okay?"

Fin.

* * *

 **Hello! I always forget to update this. But anyway, it's finally finished! I actually have an incomplete sequel in my drafts, but i don't know whether to post it or just leave this be. Haha. Thank you for those who read this, and the last few chapters aren't edited so, sorry for any mistakes. Thank you again!**

 **(rxider, 2019)**


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